Delano Lewis, former President/CEO of National Public Radio and U.S. ambassador to South Africa Delano, died on Aug. 2  in hospice care in Los Cruces, NM. He was 84, reports Inside Radio.

Ambassador Lewis was the first Black president of the public media network, assuming the role in 1993. Before joining NPR, he held several leadership positions in politics and business in Washington, D.C. He was also a member of APCO’s International Advisory Council.

According to APCO: Ambassador Lewis led a long and successful career in global corporate and public affairs.

Prior to his diplomatic appointment by President Clinton, Ambassador Lewis was an executive with C&P Telephone Company in Washington, D.C., a subsidiary of AT&T. He also served as president and chief executive officer of Bell Atlantic’s (now Verizon) Washington, D.C., operations.

Earlier in his career, Ambassador Lewis served in multiple roles in the federal government. He was an attorney for both the Department of Justice and the Office of Compliance in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; associate director of the U.S. Peace Corps in Nigeria and country director of U.S. Peace Corps in Uganda; and legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass.) and chief of staff for Delegate Walter Fauntroy of the District of Columbia.

He was the founder and former director for the Institute of International Relations at New Mexico State University. He served on the boards of the Colgate Palmolive Company, the Eastman Kodak Company and the American Institutes for Research.

Ambassador Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law. He is a recipient of the Washingtonian of the Year award and received a distinguished alumni citation from the University of Kansas and other honorary degrees from institutions including George Washington University, Bowie State University and Washburn University.

According to New Mexico State University, he was also Chairman of Lewis Limited Productions, LLC – Lewis Limited is a global Business Development, Marketing & Management solutions consulting firm whose strategic methodologies and commitment to precise execution provide high-level innovative solutions for its government and commercial clients. Ambassador Lewis headed up the Cultural Diversity & Inclusion practice.

He is the author of the book “It All Begins With Self” an Amazon “Best-Seller” in four categories & “No Condition is Permanent”.

PHOTO: New Mexico State University

.