Elba Gomez

Elba Gomez was born in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. Her family settled in the Fresno area, where they worked in the grape and cotton fields, instilling in her the values of perseverance and hard work. One of eight siblings, Elba began her educational journey at Fresno City College as an EOPS & CalWORKs student, earning her associate degree while raising three children as a single mother. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s in Business Technical Management from DeVry University, a Master’s in Business–HR Management from Keller Graduate School, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership at USC. Elba’s professional background spans higher education and public service. She previously served as the District Director of the Personnel Commission and Employment Services at the State Center Community College District and as the Executive Director of Human Resources for Madera County. She later became the VP of Administration/Chief Administrative Officer at the Port of San Diego, advising the CEO and Board on strategic planning and policy, managing large budgets as CFO/treasurer, and overseeing IT and cybersecurity functions, procurement, risk mitigation, compliance, and various facilities operations. During her time at the Port, Elba also partnered with the San Diego Regional Consortium on workforce development initiatives and community outreach efforts. She serves on the board of Promises2Kids, a nonprofit supporting foster youth and children experiencing abuse or neglect. Elba is now the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Administrative Services at MiraCosta College, grateful to return to the community college environment that once supported her own journey. She lives in Mission Valley with her husband and cherishes time with their blended family of five adult children and six beloved grand cats. She enjoys reading romance novels, baking, making tortillas and cheese from scratch, traveling with her husband, and ending each day appreciating the simple joy of being home together.