LaTrease E. Garrison, the Chief Operating Officer of the American Chemical Society, received her BS in chemistry from Howard University and completed her MBA degree at Strayer University where her research focused on succession planning for the non-profit organization. She received her certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. She joined ACS in 1992 as a Program Assistant for Chemical & Engineering News magazine. In 1996 she moved to the Education Division where she held several positions including Senior Program Manager of Undergraduate Programs. In 2005 Ms. Garrison was appointed to the position of Special Assistant to the Director of the Education Division. She previously served as the Assistant Director of the Member Communities/ Department of Volunteer Support and Director of the Administrative and Programmatic Technology group and the Professional Advancement Team. LaTrease was the Executive Vice President for Education from 2016—2020 and Executive Vice President for ACS Education, Membership and Scientific Advancement from 2020-2022. She has served as staff liaison to various ACS Committees and Task Forces and is a trained facilitator for courses within the ACS Leadership Development System.

In her current role LaTrease provides strategic direction and oversight for the Washington Information Technology unit; the Office of Philanthropy; ACS Membership; ACS Education; ACS Scientific Advancement; Meetings and Events; Strategic Business Solutions; and, global society engagement. LaTrease is a Co-Principal Investigator, NSF INCLUDES Alliance: Inclusive Graduate Education Network (NSF 1834545) where the ACS Bridge Project was established to increase the number of underrepresented students receiving PhDs in the chemical sciences.

LaTrease has been married to D’Vell Garrison for over 25 years, and they are the proud parents of three children, Testimony, D’Vell Jr, and Tehillah. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the American Chemical Society, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers and an active volunteer at her church, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.