Lamar Wade is the Chief People Officer (CPO) for Rocketship Public Schools, responsible for  leading all our people functions including: Human Resources, Talent Development, Talent Recruitment, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Lamar brings over 20 years of human resources leadership to his role at Rocketship.  His experience covers an extensive range of people management functions including: employee engagement, talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations, organizational design, compensation, benefits, training, and DEI.  Prior to joining Rocketship, Lamar served as Vice President of Human Resources for Compassus, a national healthcare organization with over 6,000 employees.   Lamar previously served in HR leadership roles at Dell Technologies, Target Corporation, and Kroger Corporation.

Lamar is a graduate of the University of Memphis and has earned HR professional certifications from Cornell University and the Human Resources Certification Institute (SPHR).  He has served on numerous boards including Tennessee State University’s  Career Development Center Employer Advisory Board, the Middle Tennessee Regional Skills Panel for the Information Technology Sector, and the Tennessee State University Business Information Systems Advisory Council. He also served on the board of trustees for the Adventure Science Center in Nashville.  Lamar volunteers for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and tutors for PENCIL (Public Education Needs Community Involvement and Leadership) – a non-profit partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools.

A native of west Tennessee, Lamar has called Nashville home for over 15 years. Lamar married his high-school sweetheart, Audrika, over 20 years ago and together they are the proud parents of five children.