GRAMBLING, La –September, 13, 2022 – The first female commissioner in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and HBCU Division I history, Sonja Stills, has officially joined The Doug Williams Center’s (DWC) esteemed Advisory Board. 
“Sports provides a platform for discussions around race and politics,” said Stills. “Sports is a bridge that brings people together from opposite sides to discuss the impact of the lack of minorities in key administrative roles which should parallel the minorities that are playing in sports.”
The Doug Williams Center is an affiliate of Grambling State University that provides diversity, equity, and inclusion solutions for professional and collegiate sports organizations and communities through academic research and industry partnerships. As the Center continues its ongoing partnership with NFL Campus Connections and provides sports career pathways for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, DWC Advisors remain an integral part of the work.
“As we continue building new solutions for racial and gender disparities in sport, it’s important that we maintain a dynamic team of thought leaders who can help drive our advancement initiatives forward,” said Brandon A. Logan, the Center’s Executive Director. “Former MEAC commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas served well on our advisory board and Ms. Stills’ addition further strengthens our stride toward progress.”
Logan’s sentiment speaks aptly to the Center’s tagline, “Building Solutions for Social Advancement,” which summarizes their mission to create ripples of cultural impact. Recently, the Center’s research supported the successful 100+ year campaign to reinstate sports legend Jim Thorpe’s International Olympic Committee records. Another DWC research study supported the launch of the first HBCU competitive gymnastics team in conjunction with the Brown Girl’s Do Gymnastics initiative.
DWC will leverage the support and guidance of its esteemed Advisory Board, which includes the Center’s namesake, in near term endeavors.
To learn more about The Doug Williams Center’s Advisory Board and leadership, visit dougwilliamscenter.com. For media interviews and inquiries, contact Raven Thissel at rthissel@dougwilliamscenter.com.
About Sonja Stills
Sonja O. Stills has been a respected, well-known staple within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the past 19 years, and on Jan. 1, 2022, she took over as commissioner — becoming the first female commissioner in the conference’s history, as well as the first female commissioner of a Div. I HBCU conference. With a proven track record of accountability, efficiency, and passion, Stills has risen through the ranks within the MEAC, beginning with her tenure at the conference in October 2002. Stills has made a name for herself among her peers and other industry professionals for her never-ending dedication to the conference and its student-athletes, ability to grow and innovate, organization, team-first mentality, and goal-achieving initiative. A 1993 graduate of Old Dominion University, Stills earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Services Counseling. In 1996, she received a Master of Arts in Counseling (College Student Work Personnel) from Hampton University.
About The Doug Williams Center
Founded in 2020, The Doug Williams Center exists to build an ever-growing network of solutions for diversity and inclusion in collegiate and professional sports. The Center is a learning commons and advancement space for audiences to examine the history of race and politics in American sports and build holistic perspectives on the cultural impact to provide resources for ongoing social progress. A hub for academic research and development, The Doug Williams Center is an affiliate of Grambling State University.
