Chad LaRue was born in Alabama on January 19, 1973, but spent most of his childhood in Leitchfield, Kentucky. He graduated from Grayson County High School in 1991 and was awarded a Kentucky Transportation Civil Engineering Scholarship. Chad attended Kentucky State University for three years where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Physics and an Associate Degree in Liberal Studies. In 1994, Chad transferred to the University of Kentucky to complete his studies and in 1996 he graduated from UK with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

After graduating, Chad went to work with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet where he entered a rotation program meant to give young engineers exposure to the many diverse areas of the Transportation Cabinet. While in this program, he worked in Construction & Maintenance in District 5-Louisville, and Highway Design, Traffic, and Bridge Maintenance in the Central Office-Frankfort. After completing the rotation program, Chad took a permanent assignment as a bridge inspector in District 5-Louisville in the summer of 1997. After two years there, he transferred to Frankfort to work as a bridge maintenance engineer, developing bridge maintenance projects.

In 2001 Chad was given the distinctive opportunity to work for the State Highway Engineer as a staff engineer. While working in this office, Chad served as a researcher, project manager, and a program manager. In 2004, Chad was promoted to Branch Manager of the Permits Office. He oversaw the office that is responsible for reviewing requests to encroach onto state right-of-way, the Interstate Logo Sign Program (blue signs) and the Tourist Oriented Directional Sign Program (brown signs) on federal and state roads, the enforcement of outdoor advertising laws, and the enforcement of recycling yard laws.

In October of 2005, Chad left the Transportation Cabinet and accepted a position as the Director of Membership Services for the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors (KAHC), where he is currently employed. Chad serves as a liaison between the member companies and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Federal Highway Administration, and legislative agencies. Chad is a registered lobbyist in Kentucky.

Chad is a licensed Professional Engineer. He is a member of the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, where he serves as the vice president for the Capital Chapter of KSPE, a member of the Political Action Committee, and a volunteer for the statewide Mathcounts competition. He is a 2002 graduate of the Leadership PE program, which is a nationally recognized program designed to encourage, strengthen, and build the professional careers and civic involvement of engineers. This program is sponsored in part by the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers.

Chad and his family currently live in Frankfort, Kentucky. His wife, Jennifer, is the English Department Chair at Shelby County High School. Their daughter, Jana, is 10 years old and is a fourth grade student at Wright Elementary in Shelby County. When Chad is not working, he enjoys spending his time with friends and family and riding his bicycle.