MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (WXYZ) — Respected, dedicated, effective, compassionate and natural leader: those are a handful of terms used to describe Dave LewAllen by his friends and former colleagues. A bright light, LewAllen made sports and news stories come to life for 35 years at WXYZ-TV.
Here is another term guaranteed to make LewAllen’s face light up: Fire up Chips!
Affectionately known as Davey Lew, LewAllen proudly graduated from Central Michigan University in 1979 with a degree in journalism. While attending CMU, he also followed his passion for sports onto the school's football team.
Over the weekend, LewAllen’s alma mater showed appreciation for their exemplary graduate by inducting him into the CMU Media Hall of Fame alongside five other honorees, all featured here on CMU's website. The Emmy-winning journalist took the stage to reflect on his career, saying in part: “We work to hold the elected and powerful accountable. But out of the spotlight as you all know, all great teachers are there doing their work.”
Davey Lew was honored to be recognized by the school where he met a couple of his favorite mentors. Unsurprisingly, LewAllen has been returning the gift of guidance for decades. He has a reputation for finding time to help CMU students and graduates, other students, former colleagues and anyone who reaches out for support.
Since retiring from his anchor seat at Broadcast House in April, LewAllen continues to serve metro Detroit and beyond. "The Dave LewAllen Podcast" launched in September. The talented media personality interviews sports figures, news-makers and difference-makers.
LewAllen also sits on the board of The Rainbow Connection, a tried-and-true nonprofit that has been granting wishes to Michigan children facing life-threatening illnesses since 1985. Everyone is invited to the organization’s Celebration of Dreams event on Nov. 17.
One of Davey Lew’s favorite parts of no longer working 40+ hours a week is the opportunity to spend more time with his beautiful wife, Sandra and their two adult children.
LewAllen is also staying connected to close friends, including our investigative reporter Ross Jones.
“Throughout his 42 years in journalism, Detroiters came to admire Dave LewAllen both for who he is and who he isn’t. At a time when personalities like Charlie LeDuff achieve recognition for noise instead of news, Dave’s career is a testament to the value of objective, no-frills reporting that places a premium on truth and truth alone. When the partisan press echo chamber encouraged viewers and readers to retreat further into their corners, Dave was a calm, comforting and assured voice who helped us to understand one another and the world in which we live,” Ross Jones, investigative reporter at WXYZ-TV, said.
Thousands of people miss seeing LewAllen inside Broadcast House or on TV. We would be remiss not to give accolades to LewAllen for teaching so many of us about genuine kindness and understanding — simply by being himself. To show our support, we are doing our best to return the favor.
