Georgia School of Orthodontics Names Co-Founder Christopher Lazzara President
By Dr. Andrea Joy Smith
Christopher M. Lazzara, President and Co-Founder, Georgia School of Orthodontics • Photo Courtesy of Georgia School of Orthodontics
Georgia School of Orthodontics has appointed co-founder Christopher M. Lazzara as president, succeeding Dr. Randy Kluender as the school enters its second decade.
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ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2026, (DrAndreaJoySmith.com) — Orthodontic education institution Georgia School of Orthodontics has named co-founder Christopher M. Lazzara president.
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Lazzara succeeds Dr. Randy Kluender, who has been involved with the school since before its first class enrolled and will remain on its board of trustees as senior advisor to the president.
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Lazzara and his father, orthodontist Dr. Gasper Lazzara, formed GSO in 2014. The school welcomed its first class of 18 residents in 2016 and admitted a class of 50 residents in 2025. In February, the Commission on Dental Accreditation approved a total program capacity of 150 residents.
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Lazzara has served on GSO’s board of trustees since its inception, including positions on its executive committee and as chair of its finance and facilities committees.
He is also founder and Chief Executive Officer of investment firm MountainStar Partners, where he leads the investment committee with a focus on healthcare and real estate. Lazzara has served as a governor-appointed trustee of the University of North Florida since 2020 and was reappointed in January 2026.
“Chris has been part of every major decision this school has made since before we opened our doors. He knows our faculty, our residents, our GSO team and the communities we serve. Since our founding, he has had the vision to see what GSO could become and the discipline to turn that vision into measurable results: more residents trained, more families served and more scholarships awarded every year. I could not be more confident in his leadership as GSO enters its second decade, and I look forward to supporting him in my new role,” said Kluender.
As president, Lazzara will oversee the school’s residency program and initiatives focused on orthodontic education, patient care and expanding access to treatment.
“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. The credit for what GSO has become belongs to our faculty, our residents, our staff and the patients we have had the privilege to serve. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Kluender for his leadership and thankful he will remain at my side as an advisor. As we enter our second decade, our mission has not changed: education, service and expanding access to care. GSO is a blueprint for how a community can train its own specialists while caring for the families who need it most, and our job now is to make it stronger and share it,” said Lazzara.
Since 2016, GSO has treated more than 15,700 patients and awarded $6 million in scholarships to residents. The school estimates that its treatment programs have saved metro Atlanta families $50.4 million compared with median treatment costs reported in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics’ 2023 Orthodontic Practice Study.
GSO also reported a 99% pass rate on the American Board of Orthodontics Written Examination over the past five years. The school operates clinics in Atlanta and Duluth.
“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. He built this institution alongside his father, he knows every part of it, and he has spent ten years keeping it financially sound and true to its mission. He brings a rare combination of business discipline and a real commitment to expanding access to education and patient care. As GSO begins its next chapter, the trustees wanted a leader who could build on what has made this school successful while growing its impact. Chris was the clear choice,” said Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Georgia School of Orthodontics offers a 36-month advanced specialty education program in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics and provides patient care through its two Georgia clinics.
For more information, visit www.GSOrthodontics.org.
Source: Georgia School of Orthodontics
