Delano E. Lewis: America's New Ambassador To South Africa

Ebony, July, 2000

Plucked from retirement, President Clinton's new envoy brings years of business experience to the post

DELANO E. Lewis is an engrossing storyteller. He paints a resplendent portrait of longing to retire to the picturesque, clean-air climate of Las Cruces, New Mexico, after 36 years of business leadership in the public and private sectors. Driving from Washington, D.C., to New Mexico during the summer of 1998, Lewis and his wife, Gayle, were looking forward to weekend hikes and morning exercise walks with their new neighbors, and a slower, serene and laid-back lifestyle. But six months later, on December 17, while packing boxes for a move up the road to a more spacious, palatial home with panoramic views of the Organ Mountains and three other scenic mountain ranges, the telephone rang. It was Vice President Gore, who was calling on behalf of President Clinton.

"Del, this is Al."

"Mr. Vice President, to what do I owe this honor?"

"The president would like to place your name in nomination as the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa."

Half in tears and bubbling with excitement, Lewis says he looked up at Gayle, who was shaking her head yes.

"Mr. Vice President, I accept."

"Congratulations, you'll hear from the State Department."

Exactly one year later on December 17, 1999--after gaining senate confirmation, getting sworn-in by law school classmate Judge John Conway, good-bye parties, finding a house-sitter, and emotional farewells from their four sons and their nine grandchildren--the Lewises left for South Africa.

Plucked from retirement as President Clinton's first choice to succeed James A. Joseph, and called once again into service by his government, Lewis is superbly qualified for the task ahead.

"Earlier in my career, I had thoughts about an ambassadorship, among other business opportunities, including perhaps the presidency of a small Black college, but this was not on my radar screen," Lewis says, smiling. "First, when the president asks you to serve, it's hard to turn him down. Second, it's the Republic of South Africa. And where South Africa is with its transition, this is an honor I couldn't pass up."

Born in Arkansas City, Kan., Lewis, 61, earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1960, where he and former basketball star Wilt Chamberlain were schoolmates. Lewis then earned his law degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., in 1963. He first worked as a staff attorney in the United States Justice Department and then with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before joining the Peace Corps, where he served as associate director in Nigeria and country director in Uganda.

When Lewis returned from Africa, he was named director of the Peace Corps' East and Southern Africa Division. He then worked as a legislative assistant to former Sen. Edward Brooke and later as administrative assistant for D.C. Delegate Walter Fauntroy, who in 1984 became one of the key architects in the Free South Africa Movement.

Lewis, however, made even greater strides in the business world during his 21-year career at Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company in Washington, D.C. He was president and CEO of the company from 1988 to 1993. He then was named president and CEO of National Public Radio (NPR), the primary supplier of news, information and cultural programming that serves more than 500 member and associate stations throughout the United States. Prior to accepting his post, Lewis was a board member on a number of blue-chip companies that included Colgate-Palmolive, Black Entertainment Television, Halliburton Company and the Eastman Kodak Company. He also served on the board of Africare, a non-government organization that assists with rural development, health and sanitation, water development and environmental protection concerns.

During his tenure as ambassador, Lewis says his "mission priorities" for South Africa will be education, economic development, the HIV/AIDS crisis and mental health care. "It was good to have some direction when I stepped off the plane," he says. "Education is the key piece. A whole generation of Black South Africans was either undereducated or has no education at all. High unemployment, which relates to the economic development piece, and skills development [are tied together]. If the economy begins to prosper, you are going to have opportunities. Jobs will come. Will the people have the necessary skills?

"The health piece," he continues, "specifically, HIV/AIDS, is an immediate issue that impacts education, the military, families, the total society. You also have housing questions, crime questions and environment issues [which are also important]. But education, economic development, HIV/AIDS and mental health will be my priorities."

Acknowledging that the U.S. has never placed Africa high on its agenda, Lewis nonetheless says the Clinton administration has done more for Africa than its predecessors. He points to Clinton's $325 million initiative to combat AIDS abroad and the five-day National Summit on Africa in Washington, D.C., that attracted more than 2,300 business, political and academic leaders from Africa and the U.S. who gathered to strengthen U.S. ties with the continent. Then there's Clinton's 1998 trip to South Africa, the first by a U.S. president, and the ongoing Binational Commission between the U.S. and South Africa. The commission was set up in 1995 following former President Nelson Mandela's 1994 State Visit to Washington, D.C. The commission is committed to exploring areas for U.S.-South Africa cooperation based on shared values; identifying U.S. expertise that can assist South Africa in meeting its Reconstruction and Development Program goals; and expanding involvement in both private investors and non-government organizations in strengthening U.S.-South Africa ties.