This is one of the 12 finalists for the Herald Business Journal’s annual Emerging Leaders Award for 2025. The winner will be named at an event on April 8.
DeLon Lewis, 33
DeLon Lewis oversees a college diversity program at a time when the Trump administration has declared war on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
It’s not easy.
Lewis is the program specialist for Black students at Everett Community College. His role is to help students succeed, but he said the trick is to be able to do that under new White House rules without excluding anyone.
“We want to educate, equip and inspire students to achieve personal and professional goals, contribute to our diverse communities and thrive in a global society,” Lewis said.
So, Lewis’ diversity efforts are now open to anyone, though he still aims to serve traditionally underrepresented students.
He just has to tread carefully.
“The penalty for messing up has increased,” he said. “We don’t want to lose our funding. We just have to be careful with the way we do things.”
Lewis believes being a leader is about building bridges.
“My leadership style is centered around collaboration and connecting people with the resources they need,” he said.
Besides working as a program specialist at the community college, Lewis also teaches a course in STEM for community college students. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math.
With a background in information technology management, he believes in leveraging AI, cloud computing and social media to grow people’s ability “to stay updated and connected.”
He is also the host of the Nubian Jam summer festival, a hip-hop festival in Everett.
Lewis grew up in Seattle and Kent and had a middle-class upbringing.
“I had friends that lived in big houses, and I had friends that lived in affordable houses,” he said. “That helped shape where I am at today. Regardless of where you start off with, we all have the same end goal. That’s what equity is really about, making sure that everyone has the resources to be successful.”
Randy Diamond: 425-339-3097; randy.diamond@heraldnet.com
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