Today in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, Gabriel J. Esparza was sworn in as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration, the first Latino to head a cabinet department in the state’s history. Surrounded by his wife and two children, Esparza was sworn into office this morning by Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell at the county’s government center. The ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in conjunction with Governor Stein’s inaugural celebration in Raleigh but was moved to Charlotte due to inclement weather.
Esparza joins the list of members from Governor Josh Stein’s inaugural cabinet to be sworn into office this week. In his new role as DOA Secretary, Esparza will oversee government operations spanning from building construction, facility maintenance, purchasing and contracting, and state vehicles to mail services, surplus, state properties and parking. He also will oversee programs and services for North Carolina’s diverse populations including women and youth, American Indians and historically underutilized businesses. He will be supported by Chief Deputy Secretary Mark Edwards, and Deputy Secretaries David Elliott and Noelle Talley.
Prior to joining DOA, Esparza served as the U.S. Small Business Administration's Associate Administrator for International Trade where he helped to create jobs, provide expanded access to capital and advocate for American small businesses around the world. Before that, Esparza spent 13 years in various leadership capacities at American Express including Vice President of Global Business Development in their Commercial Payments business. From 2009 to 2018, Esparza served on the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission and is currently a trustee for Central Piedmont Community College.
Esparza holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Stanford University.
To learn more about the department and its new leadership team, visit the NCDOA website.