Louisville, the city where Muhammad Ali developed into a world-famous athlete and social activist, is also the hometown of the man now in charge of preserving the legacy of The People's Champion in a physical space.
DeVone Holt is a proud native of Louisville's West End, where Ali's remarkable life began. The new president and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center said it would have been impossible to grow up in his neighborhood and not know about Ali's contributions as a boxer, a protestor and as a humanitarian.
"Growing up here gives this special meaning for me, because now I get a chance to build and sustain that legacy he was able to establish as Champ," Holt said in an interview with The Courier Journal.
Holt even has a vivid memory about a time he got to sit right next to Ali, who died in 2016. It happened at the very center he leads now, during a private photo opportunity. Holt was deep in a long line of eager fans when he said he noticed Ali growing weary of the sitting in front of a camera.
After Holt stepped out of the line, something unexpected happened.
"He saw me get out of line and he waved me back up to the front. I got to sit down and take a picture with him. He saw me stepping out of the line, really sure that I wanted to take a picture with him, and instead of me trying to accommodate him, he wound up accommodating me," Holt said. "And now it's one of the most cherished pictures that I have."
Holt was named president and CEO of the Ali Center in July following three years as an executive with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, where he was the driving force behind the development of the $120 million Opportunity Campus at 28th Street and Broadway.
Holt also previously served as the West End Economic Development Director for Greater Louisville Inc., the city's chamber of commerce, and as a special assistant to the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools. At JCPS, Holt oversaw the district's community partnerships and its fundraising and grant writing efforts, according to a news release from the Ali Center.
Just days into the job, Holt went out to represent the Ali Center outside of his hometown. He headed to Hollywood for the ESPY Awards with Lonnie Ali, Muhammad's wife of 40 years. Under the lights of the Dolby Theater, they presented the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award to the Maui Surfing Community , which stepped up to help their neighbors following deadly wildfires.
Holt said that while many of the celebrity athletes knew who Lonnie was, they did not know a thing about him until he introduced himself as the CEO of the Ali Center.
"It was amazing to me the warm, inviting reception I got from people simply because they have a profound respect for Muhammad Ali," he said.
As CEO, Holt said he wants to "elevate" the museum's existing services, continue to develop community ties with where both he and Ali grew up, and inspire visitors to work with others to make the world a better place.
"I look at the principles that we've used to this Center: confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality. I recognize there's probably a greater need in society for those values in our society right now," Holt said.
Ali's family seems to approve of Holt as the center's new leader.
“DeVone emerged as someone with the passion and expertise to guide the Center into its next chapter,”Lonnie Ali said in a statement from the Center. “I’m confident he’ll put his talents and dedication toward our success and longevity.”
Holt knows he's stepping into some big shoes as a spokesperson for the man he considers to be his "personal hero," but feels he is prepared to take up the responsibilities his position entails.
"This idea that I get to carry the torch of Muhammad Ali, the value that he was committed to, it's not only exciting, quite frankly it's an honor to be able to leverage one of the most recognizable faces on the planet to continue to do good in his name eight years after he passed," he said.
Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Meet the Muhammad Ali Center's new president and CEO, West Louisville native DeVone Holt
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