Georgia School of Orthodontics Names Co-Founder Christopher Lazzara as President as School Enters Second Decade
The Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO) has announced a leadership transition that will guide the institution into its next phase of growth. Co-founder Christopher M. Lazzara has been named president of the Georgia School of Orthodontics, effective August 1, 2026. Lazzara succeeds Dr. Randy Kluender, who has played a central role in developing the school since before its first class was enrolled.
Following the transition, Kluender will remain involved with GSO as a member of its board of trustees and will serve as senior advisor to the president. The new leadership structure is designed to maintain continuity while positioning GSO for continued expansion in orthodontic education, community-based patient care, scholarships, and healthcare workforce development.
Lazzara’s appointment comes as GSO marks its tenth anniversary and prepares to enter its second decade. Since welcoming its inaugural class in 2016, the institution has expanded substantially, becoming the largest orthodontic residency program in the world based on its approved capacity. Its growth has been accompanied by an expanding clinical footprint, increasing scholarship support, and a focus on improving access to affordable orthodontic treatment for families in Georgia.
From Founding Vision to Growing Orthodontic Institution
Christopher Lazzara and his father, Dr. Gasper Lazzara, an orthodontist, founded GSO in 2014. Their objective was to establish an institution that could combine specialist education with community-based patient care.
Two years later, in 2016, GSO welcomed its first class of 18 orthodontic residents. Since then, the school has steadily increased the size of its residency program through successive approvals from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The latest expansion was approved in February 2026, when CODA approved a total program capacity of 150 residents. The school admitted its largest class to date, consisting of 50 residents, in 2025.
The expansion represents a significant change from the institution’s beginnings with just 18 residents. It also reflects the school’s broader role in orthodontic education and workforce development.
For Lazzara, who has been involved with GSO since its formation, the leadership transition represents an opportunity to build on the institution’s original mission while expanding its reach.
Lazzara’s Longstanding Role at GSO
Lazzara has served on GSO’s board of trustees since the school’s inception. During his tenure, he has participated in the board’s executive committee and served as chair of its finance and facilities committees.
His responsibilities have given him extensive involvement in the institution’s strategic and operational development. Over the past decade, he has been involved in major decisions related to the school’s growth, infrastructure, financial management, and educational expansion.
That experience is expected to inform his responsibilities as president.
“Chris has been part of every major decision this school has made since before we opened our doors,” said Dr. Randy Kluender, senior advisor to the president and member of the board of trustees.
Kluender emphasized Lazzara’s familiarity with GSO’s faculty, residents, staff, and communities. He also highlighted Lazzara’s involvement in developing the school’s long-term vision and translating that vision into measurable outcomes.
Kluender said Lazzara’s leadership will be important as GSO enters its second decade, while his continued role as senior advisor will allow him to support the institution during the transition.
Leadership Experience Beyond GSO
In addition to his work with the Georgia School of Orthodontics, Lazzara brings experience from the investment and business sectors.He is the founder and chief executive officer of MountainStar Partners, an investment firm he established in 2013. At MountainStar, Lazzara leads the investment committee, with a particular focus on healthcare and real estate.
His professional background provides experience in financial management, strategic decision-making, investment, and organizational development. Those areas have also been part of his work with GSO through his previous leadership of the school’s finance and facilities committees.
Lazzara has also served as a governor-appointed trustee of the University of North Florida since 2020. He was reappointed to a second term in January 2026.He is a graduate of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
His combination of business leadership, institutional governance, and longstanding involvement with GSO provides the foundation for his new responsibilities as president.
Continuing a Mission of Education and Access
As president, Lazzara plans to focus on three areas: expanding access to affordable care, advancing orthodontic education, and strengthening Georgia’s healthcare workforce.The school’s model connects these priorities by combining specialist training with community-based clinical care.
GSO residents receive advanced orthodontic education while providing treatment through the school’s clinical operations. This approach allows residents to gain practical experience while giving patients access to orthodontic services.Lazzara has described this model as one that can potentially be adapted by other communities seeking to address both healthcare workforce and patient-access challenges.
“It is humbling to take on this role at a school my father and I opened ten years ago with 18 residents and a belief that Georgia families deserved greater access to affordable care,” Lazzara said.
He credited GSO’s faculty, residents, staff, and patients for the institution’s development and expressed appreciation for Kluender’s leadership.Lazzara also emphasized that the school’s core mission will remain centered on education, service, and expanding access to care.
More Than 15,700 Patients Served
Since its founding, GSO has expanded its impact beyond orthodontic education.
According to the school, GSO has treated more than 15,700 patients since 2016. The institution estimates that its services have helped metro Atlanta families save approximately $50.4 million in treatment costs.
The figures illustrate the connection between the school’s educational and community-service objectives. As residents receive advanced training, patients gain access to orthodontic treatment through the school’s community-based clinical model.
GSO has also established programs intended to provide complimentary care to specific groups.
Through initiatives including Gift of a Smile Heroes and Purple Heart Smiles, the school has provided complimentary orthodontic care. The Purple Heart Smiles program was expanded in 2026 to serve Purple Heart recipients themselves as well as their families throughout Georgia.
These initiatives form part of the school’s broader focus on improving access to orthodontic services for communities and families that may face financial or other barriers to care.
Investment in Scholarships and Education
Scholarship support is another significant component of GSO’s mission.
The school has awarded $6 million in scholarships to residents, providing financial support for students pursuing advanced orthodontic education.
GSO has also committed to expanding access to orthodontic education through a partnership with the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. As part of that partnership, the school has pledged $8.5 million over 12 years to support orthodontic education access.
Such investments are connected to the school’s objective of increasing the number of trained orthodontic specialists while strengthening the healthcare workforce.
The growth of the residency program, combined with scholarship initiatives, provides GSO with a platform for continuing to expand its educational contribution.
Strong Residency Examination Results
GSO also points to the performance of its residents as an indicator of its educational outcomes.
Over the past five years, GSO residents have achieved a 99% pass rate on the American Board of Orthodontics Written Examination.
Board examination performance provides one measure of the educational preparation received by residents. For an orthodontic residency program, examination outcomes are relevant to graduates as they progress toward professional certification and practice.
The results also form part of GSO’s broader record as it expands its residency capacity.
With CODA approving a total capacity of 150 residents in February 2026, the school is positioned to educate a significantly larger number of orthodontic residents than it did during its inaugural year.
Recognition During the Tenth Anniversary Year
GSO’s leadership transition takes place during a year in which the institution is receiving recognition for its tenth anniversary.
Earlier in 2026, both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly adopted resolutions recognizing the school’s 10th anniversary.
Governor Brian P. Kemp also issued a proclamation commemorating the milestone.
The recognition reflects the institution’s development since its establishment and its role in orthodontic education and community-based care.
The anniversary also provides a point of transition for the school as it moves from its founding decade into its next phase.
Trustee Support for New Leadership
The GSO board of trustees has expressed support for Lazzara’s appointment and his ability to lead the organization through its next stage.
Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, chairman of the board of trustees, said he has known Lazzara for more than a decade through his family’s work with the University of North Florida and through their involvement with GSO.
“I have known Chris for more than a decade, first through his family’s work with the University of North Florida and now on this board,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez highlighted Lazzara’s involvement in building the institution alongside his father and his familiarity with the organization’s operations.
He also pointed to Lazzara’s experience with financial management and his focus on expanding access to education and patient care.
According to Gonzalez, the trustees sought a leader who could preserve the elements that have contributed to GSO’s development while expanding the school’s overall impact.
Preparing GSO for Its Next Chapter
The appointment of Lazzara marks a leadership transition but also represents continuity for an institution he helped establish.
Having been involved with GSO from before its first residents entered the program, Lazzara has participated in the school’s development from its earliest planning stages through its current position as a large orthodontic residency program.
His new role as president places him in charge of guiding the institution through its next stage of development.
The priorities ahead include continued growth in orthodontic education, maintaining the school’s community-care model, expanding access to affordable treatment, supporting students through scholarships, and contributing to Georgia’s healthcare workforce.
The school’s experience over its first decade provides a foundation for those efforts.
From an inaugural class of 18 residents in 2016 to an approved capacity of 150 residents, GSO has undergone substantial expansion. At the same time, it has treated thousands of patients, provided financial support to residents, developed complimentary-care initiatives, and established partnerships intended to broaden access to orthodontic education.
Under Lazzara’s leadership, GSO intends to continue developing this integrated approach to education and patient care.
The transition also retains institutional experience through Kluender’s continued service on the board and his new position as senior advisor to the president. This arrangement provides an opportunity for the school to maintain continuity while introducing new leadership for its second decade.
For Lazzara, the next chapter remains closely connected to the vision that led him and his father to establish GSO more than a decade ago. The school now enters its second decade with a larger residency program, an established community-care model, significant scholarship commitments, and an expanding role in orthodontic workforce development.
The leadership transition therefore represents both a continuation of GSO’s founding mission and a new phase in the institution’s growth. As president, Lazzara will focus on strengthening the school’s educational and clinical model and extending its impact among orthodontic residents, patients, families, and communities across Georgia.
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