Local Man Named Initial Recipient of American Lung Association's Diversity Award

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Dr. Amy Chuang, Oberlin, and John Cloud, Dayton, of ALAMS’ Volunteer/Diversity Engagement Committee with Dr. Kegley, Kent with his award

COLUMBUS, OH (07/16/2015)(readMedia)-- The Charles F. Kegley Diversity Award has been established by the American Lung Association of the Midland States (ALAMS) in recognition of Dr. Kegler's advocacy for cultural diversity and inclusiveness in his life and during 30 years of volunteering with the American Lung Association.

Named the initial recipient of the award, Dr. Kegley was recently presented with a plaque at the association's annual meeting. At that time, he said that the this important work is not yet complete.

"It's wonderful because it's a very human cause. We all need oxygen, we all need healthy lungs, not just people like me. And people are paying attention to that. Ten years ago we'd see people of color coming to a meeting or two, and then never coming back. That's changing now. We have to keep listening to people's concerns and keep working until we can find some kind of balance."

On his long-time relationship with ALA, Dr. Kegley cites serendipity and hard work as the driving force behind his success. "Sometimes you just stumble into the things that matter. Then you hang on and keep working, and hope that whatever little thing you can do will help."

The retired Kent State University Professor and former Peace Corps volunteer spent his career helping others understand the value of cross-cultural understanding and health education.

"Dr. Kegley's dedication to our mission and his passion for promoting diversity within our organization is undeniable" says ALAMS President and CEO Barry Gottschalk. "He sees the elimination of cultural disparities as a shared responsibility among ALA staff and volunteers, requiring much more attention than most of us have been willing to give. Chuck's efforts will ensure that the health needs of diverse communities will continue to be met, and that diverse communities are adequately represented among the Lung Association's corps of volunteers."

Dr. Kegley's long career of studying and advocating for diversity began in the heart of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, when he and his wife, Nora, moved to San German, Puerto Rico to act as the liaison between InterAmerican University and the Peace Corps. "We were the youngest people on staff there, and it was the first time we really experienced being the minority. You know, we grew up a time and place in Northeast Ohio where we didn't even see peoplewho were not like us. And here were people living in mixed marriages. We had never even thought about things like that."

After two years of service and the birth of their first child, Kegley and his wife moved on to Tanganyika, which is modern day Tanzania, to help local teacher training colleges establish a health curriculum. His arrival in 1992 put him in a unique position to witness a variety of significant historical events, from Tanganyika's r

evolution against Great Britain, to the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

"When we arrived there were only 300 miles of paved road in all of east Africa, and we were the only ones we knew who had access to a radio. When the news came of JFK's assassination, we were the first to know. It was our job to spread the word. Meanwhile, we were witnessing the war in Zanzibar, and saw 5,000 people lose their lives. It was an interesting and heart breaking contrast to watch, these two different wars."

But in the midst of the political turmoil, Dr. Kegley was able to enact changes to help those he could. While travelling from school to school in order to evaluate their needs, he noticed that students would often spend their days working to grow food in the garden. But instead of keeping the produce they worked so hard for, they gave it away. "One day I told them that they didn't have to give their food away. The idea began to spread, and you could see the change. They began to feel like they were human beings. We got in trouble for intervening, but it was worth it."

After returning to the US and accepting a professorship with Kent State University, Dr. Kegley spent more than 40 years learning and teaching about cross-cultural adaptation and health education.

He developed and directed the implementation of Peace Corps training programs in South America and evaluated programs in Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.

He also consulted on school health programs in more than 20 school districts, and published his article "Working with Others Who Are Not like Me" in the Journal of School Health, which addresses the impact of dealing with immigrant and refugee children in school health services.

In 1995, he returned to InterAmerican University in San German, Puerto Rico, where he and his wife began their journey, to re-develop the health education program. After his retirement in 2000, he continued his work through special assignments with the Provost's office, leading workshops and conferences related to cross-cultural understanding.

Throughout his 30 years as a volunteer, Dr. Kegley has been an integral leader for the American Lung Association, acting as an authority on embracing diversity and education as tools to create a world free of lung disease. His leadership as a member of the chartered board of the American Lung Association of the Midland States and as chair of its Volunteer Engagement Committee has helped the organization better serve high risk communities with tailored health education and health promotion offerings.

Most recently, Dr. Kegley was instrumental in a demographic study that identified underserved populations in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, allowing the Lung Association to match its programs with communities that greatly need them. He also has worked to develop partnerships with diverse community groups to enhance the Lung Association's reach and ability to deliver programs to the broader community. In addition, he has developed a workshop on diversity and cultural competencies for Lung Association staff and volunteers.