{{short description|American politician}} {{notability|date=June 2022 | 1=Biographies}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kelly Gonez | image = Kelly Gonez, 2023 (cropped).jpg | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Gonez in 2023 | order = | office = Member of the LAUSD Board of Education from the 6th district | status = <!--If this is specified, overrides Incumbent.--> | term_start = May 16, 2017 | predecessor = Mónica Ratliff | successor = | office1 = President of the LAUSD Board of Education | term_start1 = December 15, 2020 | term_end1 = January 17, 2023 | predecessor1 = Richard Vladovic | successor1 = Jackie Goldberg | alma_mater = University of California, Berkeley (BA)<br>Loyola Marymount University (MA) | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1988}} | birth_place = Mission Hills, Los Angeles | spouse = Manuel Gonez | children = 3 }}
'''Kelly Fitzpatrick-Gonez''' (born 1988) is a former science teacher and current member and former president of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. She was elected as a board member in 2017 and as president in 2020. Prior to her election, she had previously served as an education policy advisor for the Obama administration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-officials-run-for-office-donald-trump_n_5915d401e4b00f308cf4d26b|title=Former Obama Officials Sign Up For Their Next Jobs: Running For Office|date=May 17, 2017|website=HuffPost|author=Bendery, Jennifer}}</ref> {{TOC limit|3}}
== Early life and education == Gonez was born in 1988 to an immigrant family in Mission Hills. She attended St. Euphrasia Catholic School in Granada Hills for elementary and middle school and graduated from Bishop Alemany High School in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alemany.org/apps/news/article/851775|title=Congratulations to our Top Ten Scholars|website=Bishop Alemany High School}}</ref> She was the first in her family to attend college, graduating from University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in political science and history and later Loyola Marymount University with a master's degree in urban education.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.lmu.edu/campusnews/voters-say-yes-to-soe-alums/|title=Voters Say Yes to SOE Alums|date=November 11, 2020|website=Loyola Marymount University}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Favot, Sarah|date=February 14, 2017|title=Meet an LAUSD school board candidate — District 6's Kelly Gonez: 'I would bring in an incredibly strong sense of urgency'|url=https://laschoolreport.com/meet-an-lausd-school-board-candidate-district-6s-kelly-gonez-i-would-bring-in-an-incredibly-strong-sense-of-urgency/|website=LA School Report}}</ref>
== Career == Gonez first taught geometry at an LAUSD high school, later becoming a 6th-grade science teacher from Lake View Terrace. In 2014, Gonez was appointed by then-President Barack Obama to serve as an education policy advisor. As an advisor, she secured over $50 million in additional education funding and led the administration to increase education funding and support for special populations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lacomadre.org/2017/05/meet-kelly-gonez-teacher-running-la-school-board-district-6/|title=Meet Kelly Gonez, the Only Teacher Running for LA School Board District 6|date=May 2, 2017|website=La Comrade |last1=Comadre |first1=La }}</ref> The Obama administration later endorsed Gonez for the board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-duncan-endorses-los-angeles-school-board-20170329-story.html|title=Obama administration Education secretary endorses Gonez, Melvoin for L.A. school board|author=Blume, Howard|date=March 29, 2017|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
On October 18, 2016, Gonez announced that she would be running for the District 6 seat in the Board of Education.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laschoolreport.com/just-in-middle-school-science-teacher-enters-race-for-san-fernando-valley-seat-on-lausd-board/|title=EXCLUSIVE: Middle school science teacher enters race for San Fernando Valley seat on LAUSD board|date=October 18, 2016|author=Favot, Sarah|website=LA School Report}}</ref> She won against Imelda Padilla on May 17, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laschoolreport.com/kelly-gonez-declares-victory-in-lausds-district-6-race/|title=Kelly Gonez declares victory in LAUSD's District 6 race|website=LA School Report|date=May 17, 2017|author=Romero, Esmeralda Fabián|access-date=March 27, 2022|archive-date=January 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124061237/https://laschoolreport.com/kelly-gonez-declares-victory-in-lausds-district-6-race/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, she was elected by her colleagues to become the president of the Board of Education, becoming the youngest woman president in the history of the board to become one at 32.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2020/12/15/lausd-elects-kelly-gonez-youngest-woman-president-in-its-history/|title=LAUSD elects Kelly Gonez, youngest woman president in its history|website=Los Angeles Daily News|date=December 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-15/kelly-gonez-is-new-l-a-school-board-president|title=Kelly Gonez, 32, first in her family to attend college, is new L.A. school board president|author=Blume, Howard|date=December 15, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Her election, along with Nick Melvoin as vice president, signified a shift toward more influence for backers of charter schools, as both members were supported by pro-charter donors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-kelly-gonez-interview-20170629-htmlstory.html|title=Q&A: New school board member Kelly Gonez isn't as pro-charter as many donors to her campaign|author=Blume, Howard|date=June 30, 2017|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In 2023, the Board voted to make Jackie Goldberg the president, replacing Gonez.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-17/goldberg-elected-l-a-school-board-president|title=Goldberg elected L.A. school board president amid tense labor negotiations|author=Blume, Howard|date=January 17, 2023|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
== Personal life == Gonez is married to Manuel Gonez, a policy director for the nonprofit TreePeople.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2023-08-05/la-on-the-record-newsletter-2024-city-council-races-l-a-on-the-record|title=With Krekorian facing term limits, Valley candidates begin jockeying to replace him|date=August 5, 2023|author=Smith, Dakota|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> They reside in North Hollywood and have three children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-01/2024-california-election-la-city-council-district-2-primary-voter-guide|title=Your guide to the L.A. City Council District 2 race: East Valley|date=February 1, 2024|website=Los Angeles Times|author=Petrow-Cohen, Caroline}}</ref> In 2024, he ran for the Los Angeles City Council's 2nd district, where he placed fourth in the primary.
== Electoral history == {{Election box open primary begin no party no change|title=2017 LAUSD Board of Education District 6 election<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cityclerk.lacity.org/election/results.html|title=CITY OF LOS ANGELES GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS MAY 16, 2017|date=May 26, 2017|website=Los Angeles City Clerk}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Kelly Gonez |votes = 15,984 |percentage = 37.16 }} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Imelda Padilla |votes = 13,390 |percentage = 31.13 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Patty López |votes = 5,159 |percentage = 11.99 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Araz Parseghian |votes = 3,853 |percentage = 8.96 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Gwendolyn Posey |votes = 2,483 |percentage = 5.77 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Jose Sandoval |votes = 2,149 |percentage = 5.00 }} {{Election box total no party no change |votes = 43,018 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box open primary general election no party no change}} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Kelly Gonez |votes = 16,961 |percentage = 51.46 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Imelda Padilla |votes = 15,996 |percentage = 48.54 }} {{Election box total no party no change |votes = 32,957 |percentage = 100.00 }}{{Election box end}}
{{Election box open primary begin no party no change |title=2022 LAUSD Board of Education District 6 election}} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Kelly Gonez (incumbent) |votes = 32,702 |percentage = 47.72 }} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Marvin Rodriguez |votes = 21,495 |percentage = 31.37 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Jesus Arana |votes = 14,334 |percentage = 20.92 }} {{Election box total no party no change |votes = 68,531 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box open primary general election no party no change}} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Kelly Gonez (incumbent) |votes = 51,707 |percentage = 51.27 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Marvin Rodriguez |votes = 49,151 |percentage = 48.73 }} {{Election box total no party no change |votes =100,858 |percentage = 100.00 }}{{Election box end}}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonez, Kelly}} Category:1988 births Category:21st-century California politicians Category:California Democrats Category:School board members in California Category:Living people Category:Loyola Marymount University alumni Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:Obama administration personnel Category:Bishop Alemany High School alumni Category:People from Mission Hills, Los Angeles