Daniel Ruiz II

Daniel Ruiz II (born March 25, 1984) is a Mexican-American and LGBTQ+ government official and an American business executive who served as the Arizona Governor Chief of Staff between 2021 and 2023 in the administration of Doug Ducey. Ruiz served in various other leadership roles in the Ducey administration from 2015 on, including Director of Media Affairs, Communications Director, Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor, and Chief of Operations. He left the Chief of Staff position with Ducey's departure from the Governor's office in 2023. According to the nonprofit Chicanos Por La Causa, Ruiz was the first Hispanic Chief of Staff to serve the Arizona Governor since the 1980s.
He currently works as Chief of Staff for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.
Early life and education
Ruiz was born and raised in Maryvale, a community in Phoenix, Arizona. His grandfather, Frank Canez, was politically engaged running for Phoenix City Council District 7 in 1983 but losing the race; he later ran, won and served as an elected multi-term Democratic Constable.
Ruiz's parents worked hard to improve their circumstances. His mother started as a school lunch employee, while his father was a dishwasher. Over time, they progressed to better-paying jobs—his mother became a bank manager, and his father, benefiting from union membership, became a carpenter superintendent.
The family moved to Goodyear, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, where Ruiz attended Millennium High School and graduated in 2023. He received a $500 journalism scholarship from the West Valley View newspaper, which he used to pay for his first community college class. In 2012, at the age of 28, Ruiz graduated from the University of Phoenix.
Ruiz graduated from the University of Phoenix in 2012 at 28-years-old.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2021/08/05/daniel-scarpinato-steps-down-arizona-gov-duceys-chief-staff/5498861001/
Government career
Maricopa County Recorder’s Office
Ruiz accepted a position with the Maricopa County Elections Department working for County Recorder Helen Purcell.
Arizona Clean Elections Commission
By 2010 he was working as the Clean Elections Campaign Finance Manager overseeing candidate compliance. In 2013 He served as the commission's Acting Director.
Arizona Governor's Office
2015, Ruiz was hired by Governor Ducey's Office as Director of Media Affairs, was promoted to Communications Director, served as Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor. The same year he was selected as member of the 2015 Flinn-Brown Center for Civic Leadership Cohort.
In 2018, he helped plan the state's memorial service for Sen. John McCain. Ruiz was appointed Chief Operating Officer in January 2020 after the departure of Gilbert Davidson, the former town manager of Marana, Arizona from the position.
In the COO role he oversaw operations of all state agencies and managed Ducey's cabinet.
Pandemic
Serving as the Chief Operating Officer, Ruiz took on a leadership role in the state's Covid-19 response. He worked to increase testing capacity and coordinated with several businesses and state agencies to open the 24/7 vaccination sites including the Glendale State Farm Stadium. The state also opened a vaccination site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. On August 6, 2021, Ruiz was appointed Chief of Staff, the top position in the governor's office overseeing Arizona state operations.
Public Engagement and Blue Cross Blue Shield
In 2023, Ruiz was appointed Chief of Staff at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of Arizona. In this role, Ruiz is responsible for advancing institutional priorities, fostering collaboration and accountability among staff, overseeing the achievement of the company's strategic goals, and managing both internal and external communications.
In 2024 Ruiz was elected to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Board of Trustees.
Ruiz regularly speaks on public panels on topics of political engagement, civic responsibility, community involvement and election integrity.

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