Lew Montgomery has made a lasting impact in various sectors and organizations and brings over 30 years of experience in leadership development, senior human resources management, DEI, and community relations work. From Coca-Cola to ACT Testing, from Alliant Energy to the University of Iowa, he has brought his vision, passion, and expertise to every role he has held. He is currently the Senior Human Resources Director & DEI Officer at The University of Iowa and serves as the Big 10 Advisory Representative for the University. His broad skillset also included a dual service role at Iowa where he served temporarily as the Interim Associate Athletics Director for the University of Iowa Athletic department. He is also the Founder & CEO of Lucas Gear, LLC an e-commerce business, and Gridiron Solutions Consulting, LLC, both of which are extremely successful businesses. Lew graduated with a degree in Communication Studies and has mastered his profession to become one of the leading professionals in Leadership, Human Resources Management and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging work.

But Lew is not just a leader in the boardroom. He was also a leader on the gridiron. A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Lew was a star athlete at Waterloo East High School, where he earned multiple honors and awards as a running-back and a defensive back. He was High School All-American, two-time 1^st Team All-Stater and inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Football Players’ Hall of Fame in 2007. He continued his football career at the University of Iowa, where he was 4-year letter-winner and earned All-Big Ten running-back honors and a co-captain on teams that made it to three bowl games (Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Holiday Bowl) under coach Hayden Fry from 1988-1992.

Lew is also a respected community leader, a motivational speaker, and a philanthropist. He has received recognition for his involvement with underserved youth, his support for high school sports serving as an analyst for KCRG 9.2 television, his advocacy for Sanfilippo Syndrome research, a rare genetic disorder that affected his late son Lucas. Lew has lectured at the local and national level and delivered the commencement speech for the University of Iowa College of Education in 2019 and lectured on DE&I at The Men of Color Summit at Clemson University and Leadership Development at The University of Cal Berkely Summit on Education.

Lew is a proud husband, father, and grandfather. He and his wife, Stacey, have four children and six grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, and part of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR). He enjoys producing music, kickboxing, golf and relaxing with his family in his spare time.