2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Conference

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Webster University DEI Conference Champion for All Award

The Webster University DEI Conference Champion for All Award is presented annually to an influential leader within the diversity, equity and inclusion space. Awardees are those who over the course of their career/community service have championed and made great strides to raise awareness of marginalized and often overlooked diverse voices. Past awardees have included Dr. Donald M. Suggs, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Valerie E. Patton, Mayor Ella Jones and Lyah B. LaFlore-Ituen.

Kelvin Adams, PhD (he/him/his), an accomplished academic leader and administrator, is the 2024 DEI Conference Champion for All Awardee.

He serves as the president and CEO of the St. Louis Community Foundation, a position he accepted in August 2023. Adams served as superintendent of schools for Saint Louis Public School District (SLPS) for 14 years until recently retiring in December 2022 as the third longest serving superintendent and the longest in the modern era for the district. After retiring from SLPS, he briefly served in April 2023 as the associate dean and first Regents’ distinguished professor for the College of Education at Harris-Stowe State University.

Adams’ many notable accomplishments during his tenure include regaining provisional and full accreditation from the Missouri State Board of Education and increasing the high school graduation rate from 54 percent to 80 percent.

Prior to accepting the superintendent position, he was chief of staff for the Recovery School District in New Orleans, Louisiana. He also served as associate dean/interim dean and charter school liaison for the College of Education for Southern University of New Orleans, as a senior high and middle school principal, as an executive director of middle schools in New Orleans and as a classroom teacher.

Adams earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership in administration from the University of New Orleans. He earned a Master of Arts in elementary education from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Arts in elementary and special education from Northeast Louisiana University.