As you may have read in the DSST Download before the break, after many years at DSST, Chief People Officer Ashley Wiegner has relocated to be closer to family. We are deeply grateful to her for the incredible tenure she had here and the gift of time to run an intensive selection process with a highly competitive pool of candidates.
We are delighted to welcome Tamara Ghandour as DSST’s next Chief People Officer. With over 25 years of experience in HR and organizational culture, Tamara brings a strong commitment to equity and inclusion, which is essential for our mission. Tamara has a personal connection to DSST, having worked directly with our students in her role as Board President of Forging Youth Resilience (FYR) Denver. She has built strong relationships with DSST alumni and even cheered one on at college graduation. A DSST alumna referred her for the position!
As Principal Consultant at LaunchStreet, she has led talent initiatives across diverse sectors of the people space, enhancing employee engagement while fostering diverse, inclusive workplaces at a global scale. Across all sectors, she is dedicated to people-centric leadership. Tamara is also a recognized industry thought leader and the author of two best-selling books on innovation.
Tamara shared, “I am truly honored and excited to join the DSST family. My passion has always been empowering youth and creating pathways for their success. I deeply believe that the greatest gift and strength of any organization is its people, especially in times of change and complexity. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves, work alongside this amazing team, and lead with heart as we continue to elevate each other and the communities we serve, working towards a vision that impacts lives for years to come.”
On a personal level, Tamara is raising two sons, Liam ( means “my people” in Hebrew) and Ari (means “strength of a lion” in Hebrew). She grew up in the Bay Area, and enjoys baking people cakes for their birthdays.
We are excited to officially welcome Tamara on December 9. She will be visiting all our campuses in December and January, so please be sure to say hello!
