Dale Erquiaga

Dale Erquiaga served as acting chancellor for the Nevada System of Higher Education, from July 1, 2022 to July 2023.

Chancellor Erquiaga previously was the national president and CEO of Communities In Schools (CIS), the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention organization. He also served as Nevada’s 27th superintendent of public instruction and as chief strategy officer for Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. His earlier positions in government include executive director of government affairs, public policy, and strategic planning for the Clark County School District; director of the Nevada Department of Museums, Library & Arts; and chief deputy secretary of state. Chancellor Erquiaga’s private sector experience includes operating his own consulting firm and working as vice president and managing director with an advertising firm in Nevada and Arizona.

The grandson of Spanish Basque immigrants, Chancellor Erquiaga holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a master’s degree in leadership from Grand Canyon University. His first novel, Three Wives’ Tales, won the 2020 Basque Writing Contest sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno, and Boise State University. The proud father of two and grandfather of five divides his time between Reno and Las Vegas. Mr. Erquiaga was appointed by Governor Steve Sisolak in December 2022 as a Nevada Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) commissioner.