Cade Lambert
Head of  School

Mr. Lambert considers himself incredibly fortunate to have grown up in a home where Christ was known and where his parents encouraged growth in his faith and spiritual formation. When he entered the field of education, he felt called into leadership from the start.  

He leads with the belief that the purpose of education is to discover the unique aspects God has built into every child and uncover these gifts during their formative years. This allows them to impact the world for Christ through the calling He has put on their lives.

Cade Lambert began serving as Head of School at Des Moines Christian in 2016. Through God’s provision and with the support of a talented faculty and staff, under Mr. Lambert’s leadership:

  • DMC has physically transformed with more than $15M in capital improvements including the East Ed Addition, Lions Field and the Great Room. At the heart of these improvements is the desire to deepen the student experience. 

  • The Impact Tomorrow Today campaign was announced in 2020, a $29.5M campaign for the future needs of the school.

  • Needs-based tuition assistance has nearly doubled, making Christian education accessible for more families in the Greater Des Moines area. 

  • New faculty and staff have been strategically added to strengthen spiritual development and academic excellence.   

  • The DMC endowment was established to provide further financial stability for the school.  

While these milestones are significant in the growth of the school, Mr. Lambert says the heart of the school is the spirit of community built by students, families, faculty and staff. From the chatter in the halls and the roar of the crowd to the serenity of a chapel service, Christ is present.

Prior to his role at DMC, Mr. Lambert served as Head of School at New Life Academy in Minnesota. He is passionate about strategically leading organizations in a way that maximizes resources, creates community, and closes the achievement potential gap. Over his tenure as a school head, he has been involved in three separate capital campaigns. He has led his schools through the strategic planning process and strategic execution.

His education experience also includes serving as Elementary Principal at Des Moines Christian School for seven years and as a public school classroom teacher.

Mr. Lambert is a member of the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA)  Executive Committee, Board Chair of the Iowa Association of Christian Schools and an elder in his church. He is a past member of the Presidential Advisory Team for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and a past mentor for ACSI’s Leadership U head of school development program. Mr. Lambert holds degrees from the University of Northwestern (St. Paul) and Iowa State University in Elementary Education (BS) and Educational Leadership and Administration (M.Ed.), respectively. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Urbandale and have four children.