Sonja O. Stills is an influential determine in collegiate athletics, finest often known as the primary feminine commissioner within the historical past of the Mid-Japanese Athletic Convention (MEAC). She’s additionally the primary feminine commissioner of a Division I Traditionally Black Faculty and College (HBCU) convention. After holding a number of management positions within the MEAC for greater than 20 years, Stills formally assumed the highest management position on January 1, 2022, bringing a confirmed monitor report of strategic imaginative and prescient, operational effectivity, and a deep dedication to elevating the student-athlete expertise throughout the eight-member establishments of the convention. Her appointment was the fruits of a distinguished profession rising via the MEAC ranks, the place she beforehand served as Chief of Workers/Chief Working Officer and has been instrumental in securing main company partnerships, growing the convention’s strategic plan, and pioneering its cutting-edge esports initiative.
BET.com spoke with Stills, who spoke with delight about her convention and the faculties that make up the MEAC.
“We’re what I name the Elite Eight member establishments. We’re on the East Coast, the Mid-Atlantic from Delaware all the best way to South Carolina. Now we have Delaware State College, Coppin State, Morgan State, Howard College, Maryland Japanese Shore, Norfolk State College, North Carolina Central, after which South Carolina State College,” Stills mentioned. “Now we have 13 sports activities with championships. Our largest occasion is our basketball event, which is hosted in Norfolk, Virginia. We have been within the Celebration Bowl with the SWAC convention, and we’re the one FCS bowl.”
What’s superb about Stills’ outstanding journey is that she doesn’t have an athletic background. Actually, she’s by no means performed organized sports activities aside from a brief stint together with her church’s native softball league. In response to Stills, her path within the sports activities area was “purely accidentally.”
“So my school levels are all in counseling. I went to Hampton when it was time for me to do my graduate internship, and Mindy Soper was my intern advisor in Greek life. I needed to work together with her once more when she moved into athletic educational help and so they gave me 5 red-shirt freshmen to work with,” Stills recalled.
“After I graduated, I used to be sending letters to colleges within the space, asking to start out an Athletic Educational Assist Program. The athletic director, Dr. Dennis Thomas, supplied me a job after I graduated from my masters diploma. I used to be capable of get a job because the Assistant Dean of Girls at Hampton,” she continued.
What she didn’t anticipate was that she would make a major influence in sports activities administration.
“A couple of yr and a half later, the VP of Scholar Affairs requested if I favored my job. I informed him I do, however I need to be in athletic scholar help. He was additionally the athletic Chair of the athletic Certification Committee, and he talked to Dr. Dennis Thomas, the Athletic Director, and acquired me an interview,” she mentioned. “I used to be capable of begin the athletic teachers program over there as a result of he knew my title.”
As a result of she was not an athlete, Stills made positive she realized all facets of the athletic division the place she labored. This follow not solely helped her perceive the sports activities aspect of her establishment, however it can additionally open future doorways for her.
“I volunteered for work on the go gate, I used to be capable of do recreation operations, and I used to be [moved] over to cheerleaders. Mainly, I did not say no to something as a result of I needed to be useful to the division,” she mentioned. “It was an awesome studying expertise.”
“In 2002, when he grew to become the commissioner of MEAC, Dr. Thomas known as me and mentioned, ‘It is time so that you can receives a commission for what you are price.’ He mentioned, ‘You could be the Director of compliance. I hate compliance. I keep in mind crying all the best way throughout the bridge, attempting to depart Virginia to go to Greensboro, however I realized compliance,”Stills mentioned.
Trying again, Stills mentioned this position was the preparation she wanted to ultimately tackle the position of commissioner.
“I used to be capable of shadow once more, and I went to the championships to find out how every part labored. I started to maneuver up the ranks. I did not ask for promotions or praises. I acquired them as a result of I used to be simply targeted on doing the job, offering the companies, and once more, not saying no.”
When the chance got here for Stills to make historical past as the primary feminine commissioner, she initially tried to keep away from making use of for the place.
“I fought it earlier than Dr. Thomas retired. He mentioned, ‘Hey, you are going to be the following Commissioner. I will discuss to the President.’ I mentioned, ‘I do not need that job. I do not need all them bosses, as a result of all of the Council of Presidents,” she mentioned. “My mama was like, ‘All people acquired bosses, you are able to do it.’So I used to be like, ‘I assume I will go forward and put my title within the hat. Miraculously, I acquired via the interviews, and so they chosen me to be the commissioner.”
Below Stills’ management, the MEAC continues to thrive, and her efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Just lately given the award for the 2025 Nike Government of the Yr for Girls Leaders, which she described as her “best accomplishment at this level. The MEAC has established a cheerleading championship with licensed judges, launched the “Guardians of the Recreation Awards” that acknowledge contributions of girls, and launched Girls’s flag soccer.
“I’m proud that we’ve been capable of present these younger girls who most likely performed soccer within the neighborhood to see that there is a place for them within the sport of soccer,” she mentioned. “We have had three profitable clinics, and we’re going to proceed to try this.”
For Stills, she hopes that her journey will result in different barrier-breaking Black girls who need to lead establishments with the ability of sports activities. She shared some recommendation she would provide to Black girls who aspire to work in sports activities on the manager aspect.
“For Black girls who need to get to this place, I need to transfer over and allow them to have it,” Stills mentioned. “I feel generally girls need to get into positions after which shut the door behind them. It’s crucial to maintain that pipeline going. Crucial factor is to have the ability to present these alternatives to those that are coming after me. That is actually what drives me to be on this place.”