Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Joel Schleicher of Sarasota as chair of the Florida Talent Development Council. The Talent Development Council's mission to develop a coordinated, data-driven, statewide approach to meeting Florida’s needs for a 21^st-century workforce that employers and educators use as part of Florida’s talent supply system. The council will advise Gov. DeSantis, Florida Senate president Bill Galvano, Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva, the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education on how best to cultivate the talent needed for Florida’s workforce.

Schleicher is the founder and executive chairman of Focal Point Data Risk, an IT risk management consulting firm that he founded in 2014; as well as a member of Business Executives for National Security. He has been a member of various boards, including the Argus Foundation and Van Wezel Foundation, and was named the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Minnesota. He currently serves on the advisory board for the Holmes School of Entrepreneurship and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota.