This week Sonja Stills, the current Chief of Staff and COO of the MEAC, made history as she was selected as the next commissioner of the MEAC effective January 1st, 2022.
According to MEACSports.com, this appointment makes her the first female commissioner in MEAC and HBCU Division I history.
“I’m honored to be named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s next Commissioner,” said Stills in a statement. “I’ve learned a great deal in my tenure with the conference and look forward to continuing the MEAC’s history of excellence. Thank you to the MEAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors for this opportunity and thank you to Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas for your leadership and mentorship over the past 19 years.”
A 1993 graduate of Old Dominion University, Stills received an MA in Counseling from Hampton in 1996, thus beginning her long tenure at HBCUs.
She served as Hampton’s Coordinator of Athletic Academic Support for four years. While working for the Pirates, she developed the school’s first Athletic Academic Support Program, helping student-athletes through academic advisement and counseling.
Stills then moved on to the MEAC and made her mark by helping to grow the conference’s visibility, develop its strategic plan and negotiate corporate partnerships with companies such as iHeartRadio, the US Marines, Home Depot and Harley Davidson. She also assisted in securing a contract for the conference’s member institutions with Nike.
Her hard work and dedication made her the right choice to succeed outgoing commissioner, Dr. Dennis Thomas.
“Congratulations to Sonja Stills,” said Dr. Thomas. “I’m thrilled to see her hard work, determination, discipline and integrity being rewarded. Sonja has always demonstrated vision and a passion for student-athlete achievement, which is why I’m confident she will lead the MEAC to its next level of success.”
