Julissa Gutierrez

2026 Social Impact Award Recipient

Chief Diversity Officer, State of New York

Julissa Gutierrez, AM’06, serves as the Chief Diversity Officer for the State of New York, first appointed in 2020 and reappointed by Governor Hochul. She leads statewide efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion across New York State government’s workforce, programs, and policies. A lifelong advocate for underrepresented communities, Julissa brings over two decades of experience in public service, nonprofit leadership, and civic engagement. She has worked tirelessly to increase capacity and upskill diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility practitioners across the state, ensuring that the infrastructure for this vital work is both robust and sustainable. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to building systems that reflect and serve the diverse communities of New York.  

Beyond workforce initiatives, Julissa has played key roles in major policy efforts that have improved the lives of millions of New Yorkers, including the expansion of paid family leave, increases to the minimum wage, and the advancement of civil rights protections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also helped lead the state’s Vaccine Equity Task Force to ensure historically underserved communities were not left behind.