CHAD DION
LASSITER

Chad Dion Lassiter is a respected executive leader, professor, and national expert in the field of American Race Relations and has worked on race, peace, and poverty-related issues nationally and internationally. Lassiter is well known for his strategic organizational leadership and innovative approach to human rights issues. Leveraging experience across government, social services, and community engagement, Lassiter’s influence has shaped public policy and enhanced operational effectiveness for countless clinical and social service programs.

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Lassiter is currently the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, an agency that promotes equal opportunity for all and enforces Pennsylvania's civil rights laws that protect people from unlawful discrimination. He is the co-founder and current president of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice’s Black Men at Penn, the first Ivy League Black male group of social workers. 

He is called upon frequently by media outlets and government entities to provide commentary on race relations, and social justice issues to explore potential solutions. Lassiter has been recognized and awarded at the federal, state, and local levels including induction into the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice Alumni Hall of Fame, and in 2021 was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, Pennsylvania Chapter.

In 2023 President Biden appointed Lassiter to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. In addition to crafting programs, the commission helps advise the Biden administration on educational equity and economic opportunities for the Black community, according to the White House. 

Lassiter obtained his undergraduate degree in Social Work from Johnson C. Smith University, and his Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.