Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe is a proud United States Navy veteran and a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Lamar served for a total of eight years, having earned several medals, including the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for his service in the Global War on Terror following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

After Lamar’s return stateside, he extended his term of service in the Navy and was stationed at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, CT. During his second tour of duty, Lamar was accepted to The George Washington University (GWU), a school with a reputation for fostering social responsibility and public service. At George Washington, Lamar continued to serve in the military at the Washington Navy Yard. He chose to double major in Sociology and Women’s Studies. In 2006, Lamar was elected President of the George Washington University Student Body, representing more than 20,000 professional, law, medical, graduate, and undergraduate students from around the world.

In 2007, Lamar graduated and was selected from a large pool of highly accomplished graduating scholars as one of seven Presidential Administrative Fellows at George Washington. He concurrently worked towards his Master of Arts degree in Women’s Studies. As part of his fellowship, he was appointed to be at the forefront of university development, raising over a million dollars annually for GWU. Subsequently, he began his career as a higher education administrator. After several years in higher education, Lamar transitioned to a career in public health.