Under Mr. Kemp's guidance, the Lakeshore Foundation has grown to over 100 employees and served as a disability access consultant to the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.
BIRMINGHAM, AL, November 06, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- John D. Kemp, Esq., has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A tireless advocate for people with disabilities, Mr. Kemp currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Lakeshore Foundation, an organization devoted to providing opportunities to individuals with physical disabilities and chronic health conditions. He stepped into this role in 2021, taking over for the foundation's first president, who had led the company for 30 years. Under Mr. Kemp's guidance, the Lakeshore Foundation has grown to over 100 employees and served as a disability access consultant to the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. His advocacy extends to various national and global policy initiatives, with the Lakeshore Foundation supporting over 4,000 people every year under his leadership.
Prior to joining the Lakeshore Foundation, Mr. Kemp contributed to disability advocacy as the president and chief executive officer of the Henry Viscardi School and The Viscardi Center, a national disability employment and education organization. In this role, he was responsible for managing 400 employees and an annual budget of $30 million. Mr. Kemp also spent a decade as a principal and partner at Powers Pyles Sutter and Verville PC, utilizing his knowledge of the law to represent clients in areas of diversity and inclusion, equal opportunity employment, health care and more. He assisted the nonprofit Disability:IN as an executive director and general counsel and held the position of chief executive officer at ACCSES (formerly the American Congress of Community Services and Employment Services).
Mr. Kemp's career in advocacy includes notable stints as president and chief executive officer of VSA Arts and as national executive director for the United Cerebral Palsy Associations. His earliest advocacy work spanned multiple roles for Easterseals, a disability services nonprofit, including director of human resources, general counsel and vice president of development. Mr. Kemp's tenure with Easterseals was particularly noteworthy, as he had attended Easterseals camps as a child and became the organization's poster child for a stretch of time; working with them as an adult felt like coming full circle. His earliest professional roles focused on legal practice, including founding his own firm in 1977 and serving as a staff attorney for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1974.
A glance at Mr. Kemp's academic background reveals the roots of his successful professional life. He received a Bachelor of Arts in history at Georgetown University in 1971 and completed a Juris Doctor at Washburn University School of Law in 1974. Mr. Kemp returned to Washburn University School of Law for a Doctor of Law in 2003 and earned a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Connecticut in 2018. He has aimed to share his deep well of knowledge with others through the publication of numerous journal articles, papers, and presentations, including authoring his first book in 2023: "Disability Friendly: How To Move From Clueless to Inclusive."
While Mr. Kemp has devoted much of his career to disability advocacy, he has embraced civic engagement beyond work as well. He co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities and is an active member of the Rotary Club, the U.S. International Council on Disabilities, the National Council on Disability, the Dole Foundation for Employment of People with Disabilities, and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Mr. Kemp is also a staunch supporter of The Elizabeth Dole Foundation and was honored to attend her Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in 2024. He has earned dozens of awards and accolades himself, including the Jack Hausman Humanitarian Award, the Henry B. Betts Award for disability leadership and service, the Dole Leadership Prize and the New Freedom Initiative Award, among others.
When he is not working, Mr. Kemp finds fulfillment in sports, travel, watching athletics and spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. Looking to the future, he aspires to continue expanding the Lakeshore Foundation by partnering with organizations around the U.S. and potentially around the world. Mr. Kemp plans to explore licensing opportunities for the group's extensive library of videos on disability health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. He is committed to continue advocating for individuals with disabilities by recognizing their talents, providing them with opportunities and expanding accessibility.
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