Dr. Hector Garcia

Experience

Dr. Hector Garcia brings more than 30 years of experience in educational leadership to his work at RobbinSolutions, offering clients the perspective of a practitioner who has held direct responsibility for the outcomes he now advises on.

Dr. Garcia most recently served as Superintendent of District 181 in Hinsdale, Illinois, where he led the K-8 district to three consecutive Blue Ribbon Awards and five awards overall since his appointment in 2018, along with multiple Model PL School awards recognizing the district's collaborative practices. His career spans a broad range of roles and settings, including classroom teacher, high school principal, and district-level administrator, in districts such as Adlai Stevenson District 125, Morton District 201, Glenbard District 87, and Plano District 88.  Dr. Garcia has led schools and districts with a wide range of socio-economic and diverse student populations. Along with working with over 40 Board members during his career as Superintendent (14-years), District and building administrator.

Dr. Garcia has consistently built effective, lasting partnerships across the diverse communities and organizations he has served. The capacity for relationship-building and sound judgment now informs his work with RobbinSolutions clients across many issues and topics.

In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Garcia has served as a graduate-level instructor in leadership, organizational behavior, and curriculum at three Chicago-area universities. He is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences and has consulted with educators in more than 15 states.

Dr. Garcia holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University Chicago, a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University, and a Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Awards

• Board Member of the Illinois Community College Board. (Appointed 2026)

• ‘Those Who Excel’ Award of Excellence winner (Administrator, Highest level). (Spring, 2025)

• ISBE - Education’s Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) member.

• Plano District 88 Premier Award: Administrator. (Spring, 2014)

• Board Trustee of the College Board. (Term 2017-2021)

• National Academic Assembly Council Chair of the College Board. (Fall, 2013)

  Regional Office of Education, DuPage, IL - Equity and Excellence 2012 award winner.

Publications

• Garcia, H. (2019, Fall). First Thing - The Momentum of a New School Year. All Things PLC Magazine. 4-5.

• Garcia, H. (2017, September 11). Solution Tee Blog. Dream Teams: Collaborating for the Success of All

• Solution Tree. (2016, Summer). Learning Champion: Hector Garcia - PLC vision improves learning for all students. All Things PLC Magazine. 22-26.

• Garcia, H. (2015, July 1). AllThingsPLC. Avoiding the “PLC Lite” Scenario.

• Garcia, H. (2015, June 24). AllThingsPLC. What’s the Plan?

• Garcia, H. (2014, April 30). AllThingsPLC. Spring is a Great Time to Re-energize Staff and Score a Win!

• Garcia, H. (2012, October 12). AllThingsPLC. Let’s Not Stop with Pockets of Excellence.

• Garcia, H. (2012, April 4). AllThingsPLC. What if Efficacy Did Not Matter in Schools.

Presentations

• Garcia, H. (November, 2025) From Negative Headlines to High-Impact Board Leadership. Program presented at IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.

• Garcia, H. (November, 2022). Onboarding Board Members for Success. Program presented at IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.

• Garcia, H. (July, 2015). Out of Many, One and Paving the Way. Programs presented at the Professional Learning Communities at Work® institutes. Louisville, KY.

• Garcia, H., Mehochko, C., Fellows, I., Romano, T. (November, 2014). Establishing a Multi District PLC. Program presented at Joint Annual Conference of IASB/ IASA / IASBO. Chicago, IL.

• Garcia, H. (September, 2014). Establishing a Mission, Vision, and Goals. Program presented at ALAS’ Superintendent Leadership Academy. Rosemont, IL.

• Garcia, H. (July, 2014). Developing One Focus, Paving the Way, and Overcoming the ‘How.’ Programs presented at the Professional Learning Communities at Work® institutes. Orlando, FL.