Bio of Lewis W.Diuguid

Lewis W. Diuguid is vicepresident for community resources at The Kansas City Star. He serves on the editorial board, is an opinion page columnist and isresponsible for The Star'sphilanthropic efforts in the community. Since 1995 he has co-chaired the diversity initiative at The Star and since 1993 has facilitated diversityworkshops for Star Co. staffers, colleges and community organizations.

Diuguid joined the staff of TheKansas City Star-Timesin May 1977 after graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia School ofJournalism. He has worked as a reporter, photographer, copy editor, automotiveeditor, assistant bureau chief, bureau chief, assistant city editor, associateeditor and columnist. He has written a column for The Kansas City Star since 1987.

Diuguid is the author of the 2004award-winning book, A Teacher’s Cry: Expose the Truth About Education Today. The book offers ways to improve publicschools, particularly in urban areas. A Teacher’s Cryis rooted in his studies with the Class of 1999 from the students’ freshmanyear until graduation at Washington High School in Kansas City, Kan. He wrote about 100 columns for TheStar chronicling whatit’s like to be a teenager and teacher today.

In July 2007, Diuguid’s secondbook was published. The subject isdiversity, which for more than 20 years has been a key focus of his columns in TheKansas City Star. The title is Discovering the RealAmerica: Toward a More Perfect Union.

Diuguid is a founding member,treasurer, newsletter editor and Media Awards Committee chairman of the KansasCity Association of Black Journalists. He is a member of the NationalAssociation of Black Journalists, a member of the National Society of NewspaperColumnists, a member of the National Association for Multicultural Education, amember of the Monroe Trotter Group of Black Voices in Commentary, a member ofthe Missourian PublishingAssociation Board of Directors with the University of Missouri-Columbia Schoolof Journalism and a member of the William Allen White Foundation Board ofTrustees with the William Allen White School of Journalism and MassCommunications at the University of Kansas. He is a certified diversityfacilitator with the Newspaper Association of America. Diuguid gives numerousspeeches and lectures a year on behalf of The Star. He has received more than 60 awards, including the 2000 Missouri HonorMedal for Distinguished Service in Journalism and the 2007 University ofMissouri-Columbia Faculty-Alumni Award..

Diuguid was born and reared inSt. Louis and has two adult children, Adrianne and Leslie.