Daniel Ruiz II

Daniel Ruiz II
Chief of Staff to the Governor of Arizona
In office August 5, 2021 – January 2, 2023
Governor	Doug Ducey
Preceded by	Daniel Scarpinato
Succeeded by	Allie Bones
Chief Operating Officer
Doug Ducey
Personal details
Born	Daniel Ruiz II (1984-03-25) March 25, 1984 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	University of Phoenix (BS)

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

Government career

Maricopa County Recorder’s Office

Ruiz accepted a position with the Maricopa County Elections Department working for County Recorder Helen Purell. He served as Director of Communications & Public Affairs at Maricopa County Recorder's Office and Elections Department.

Arizona Clean Elections Commission

By 2010 he was working as the Clean Elections Campaign Finance Manager overseeing candidate compliance. He became the deputy director and in 2013 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. 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 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.

Blue Cross Blue Shield

In 2023 Ruiz accepted a position as Chief of Staff of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.