Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Georgia Division of Family and Children Services Chief of Staff Virginia Pryor to be the interim director of DFCS. Pryor will replace Director Bobby Cagle, who will depart to lead the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services on Nov. 10.
 
“We have no greater responsibility than caring for Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Deal. “It is imperative that we work to ensure that each child is safe and has the best possible opportunity for a good life. Virginia Pryor has been a longtime advocate for the wellbeing of children and she has already played a vital role in the administration of DFCS. I am confident that she will serve our state well as interim director. I am grateful for Director Cagle’s efforts as he helped move DFCS forward in a number of ways while protecting the interests of many young Georgians. I wish him well in his next endeavor to serve Los Angeles County.”

Bobby Cagle
Cagle is currently the director of DFCS. He was previously the commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Cagle also served as the director of Legislative and External Affairs for DFCS and as the DFCS family services director. Cagle was the deputy director of youth and family services for the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services in Charlotte, N.C., director of the Graham County Department of Social Services in Robbinsville, N.C., and a judicial district manager for the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Cagle earned bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Sociology and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
 
Virginia Pryor
Pryor is currently the chief of staff for DFCS. She previously served as the DFCS deputy director overseeing child welfare. Pryor has 27 years of experience in child welfare services and has consulted with systems in 46 jurisdictions. Before joining state government, she was the principal of Immersion Consulting, a child welfare consulting group, and the senior director of strategic consulting for Casey Family Programs. Pryor earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in Social Work from Howard University.