Dr. Gonzalo La Cava is the chief talent officer for Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, Ga. He returned to the school system in 2022 after serving the district from 2011 to 2016 in various roles, including area superintendent for the Central Learning Community, assistant superintendent of student support services, and executive director of services for exceptional children.

Prior to his latest position in Fulton County, Dr. La Cava was chief of human resources for The School District of Palm Beach County in Florida, the nation’s tenth-largest district. In that role, he oversaw compensation structures; employee information services; labor relations; professional development; and recruitment and retention. In addition, he established numerous partnerships to attract and prepare diverse and talented educators and train future education leaders.

Earlier in his career, Dr. La Cava led two large comprehensive Title I elementary and middle schools in Florida’s Orange County Public Schools. Both of the schools supported a population of students where 75 percent were children of color and 80 percent qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch. He began his work in the field as a special education teacher.

Dr. La Cava earned his doctorate, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Central Florida. He is a member of the fifth cohort of the Future Chiefs leadership development program.