Home / CSUSM – Alumna Took Unorthodox Path to Leading Local Health Care Staple

Oct 24, 2025

CSUSM – Alumna Took Unorthodox Path to Leading Local Health Care Staple

Michelle Gonzalez was a Cal State San Marcos student only about a month away from graduating in 2003 when she started working for an organization then called North County Health Services.

Her degree (communication) was unrelated to health care, and Gonzalez had no intention of staying in the field. The main appeal of the job was that it was close to her home and the university.

Beginning her journey as a program assistant in an entry-level role, Gonzalez quickly developed a fondness for the local nonprofit and its high-minded mission: providing quality health care and wellness services to underserved communities, regardless of income or insurance status. Her early connection to community health mirrored CSUSM’s commitment to accelerating social mobility through leaders who serve with purpose.

What Gonzalez imagined to be a brief pit stop instead turned into a rewarding career, and over two decades, she climbed the rungs all the way to the top – she was appointed president and CEO in 2020, the same year that North County Health Services was reborn as TrueCare.

To learn more about Michelle’s story, check out the Cal State San Marcos website…Read more
 
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