THE 2024 WEBSTER DEI CONFERENCE AWARDS
CHAMPION FOR ALL
GAME CHANGER
Katie Fields ’ 19 (she/her/hers) College Outreach Coordinator Disability Inclusion Consultant Starkloff Disability Institute
Kelvin Adams, PhD (he/him/his) President & CEO St. Louis Community Foundation
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, an accomplished academic leader and administrator, is the 2024 Webster University DEI Conference Champion for All Awardee. 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. He currently serves as the president and CEO of the St. Louis Community Foundation, a position he accepted in August 2023. 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. 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.
The Webster University DEI Conference Game Changer Award is presented annually to an individual who has taken a bold and unique approach to redress a particular diversity, equity and inclusion issue for the community’s benefit. Past awardees have included Neal Richardson and Quiton Ward. Katie Fields ’19 (she/her/hers), college outreach coordinator and disability inclusion consultant at Starkloff Disability Institute, is the 2024 Webster University DEI Conference Game Changer Awardee. Fields has a passion for career development, accessibility and disability pride. With over seven years of experience in career advising, Fields combines her expertise with her personal experiences as someone living with multiple invisible disabilities. Using her knowledge and lived experiences, Fields joined Starkloff Disability Institute, a disability-led nonprofit, in 2019 and developed the highly successful Access U program. Access U is a free career development program designed specifically for college students with disabilities, aiming to equip them with the skills and preparation they need to successfully start their careers. She is also a disability inclusion consultant at Starkloff Disability Institute, where she educates employers and institutions on disability inclusion and accessibility best practices with the goal of making spaces and workplaces accessible for all. As a proud Webster University alumna, Fields holds degrees in business administration and management. She proudly serves on the University’s Alumni Board as the young alumni chapter leader and enthusiastically encourages engagement with current students.
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