MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills Named Nike Executive of the Year
MEAC Commissioner Sonja O. Stills wins Nike Executive of the Year from Women Leaders in Sports — a milestone for HBCUs and women in athletic leadership.
In brief
Commissioner Sonja O. Stills of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has been named Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in Sports, one of the most prestigious honors in collegiate athletics administration. The award recognizes Stills' transformative leadership of the MEAC, the nation's most storied HBCU athletic conference, and elevates her profile among the country's most powerful women in sports.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Commissioner Sonja O. Stills received the Nike Executive of the Year award from Women Leaders in Sports, a national honor recognizing elite sports administrators.
Stills leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), which includes 13 HBCU member institutions primarily along the East Coast.
The recognition amplifies the national conversation around Black women in executive athletic leadership roles.
Women Leaders in Sports has championed gender equity in athletics since 1979, making this honor one of the industry's longest-standing distinctions.
The award arrives as HBCU athletics commands growing investment, media deals, and cultural cachet across the sports landscape.
Who Is Sonja O. Stills — and Why Her MEAC Leadership Matters
Sonja O. Stills doesn't just run a conference — she runs a movement. As Commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Stills oversees athletics for 13 historically Black colleges and universities, institutions that have produced Olympians, NFL Hall of Famers, and some of the most culturally resonant athletic programs in American history. Howard University, Morgan State, Hampton University, and North Carolina A&T are among the MEAC's flagship members — each carrying traditions that predate the integration of major college sports.
Stills assumed the MEAC commissioner role understanding that her position sits at the intersection of athletics, academia, and Black institutional legacy. Under her watch, the conference has worked to modernize its media presence, deepen brand partnerships, and advocate for HBCU student-athletes at the NCAA level — an arena where HBCU conferences have historically faced resource disparities compared to Power Four leagues.
Her ascent to the commissioner's chair mirrors a slow but accelerating trend: Black women claiming executive authority in sports organizations that have long been dominated by white men. Stills joins a growing cohort of women reshaping what leadership looks like in collegiate and professional athletics. For anyone tracking the DC Power Players Index, her influence extends well beyond the conference offices.
Women Leaders in Sports: The Organization Behind the Nike Award
Women Leaders in Sports, founded in 1979 as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics women's caucus, is one of the oldest and most respected advocacy and professional development organizations in American sports. With a membership network spanning collegiate athletic directors, conference commissioners, and corporate sports executives, the organization's annual awards carry genuine weight inside the industry's power corridors.
The Nike Executive of the Year award specifically recognizes an administrator who has demonstrated exceptional vision, measurable impact, and a commitment to advancing opportunity within their organization. That Nike — the world's largest athletic brand — lends its name to the honor underscores the commercial and cultural gravitas attached to the recognition. Nike's long-standing investment in HBCU athletics, including apparel partnerships and the Nike HBCU Showdown initiatives, makes Stills' selection particularly resonant.
Past recipients of Women Leaders in Sports awards have gone on to hold top positions at the NCAA, Power Five conferences, and major professional leagues. The organization functions as both a recognition body and a pipeline accelerator — and being named Executive of the Year puts Stills squarely in that trajectory.
HBCU Athletics in 2026: A Rising Tide With Real Stakes
Stills' award arrives during a pivotal moment for HBCU athletics. Over the past several years, historically Black colleges have commanded unprecedented national attention — from Deion Sanders' tenure at Jackson State and subsequent move to Colorado, to landmark media deals and the viral cultural power of HBCU homecoming seasons. The MEAC's Celebration Bowl, played annually in Atlanta, draws tens of thousands of fans and significant ESPN viewership, functioning as the de facto HBCU national championship game.
But visibility hasn't always translated to equitable resources. A 2021 NCAA report documented significant funding gaps between HBCU athletic programs and predominantly white institutions, gaps that conference commissioners like Stills are actively working to close through advocacy, negotiation, and creative partnership structures.
The name, image, and likeness (NIL) era has added new complexity. HBCU athletes now compete for brand deals and sponsorships in an open market, and conference leadership plays a crucial role in educating student-athletes and connecting them with corporate partners. Stills' ability to navigate this landscape — while maintaining the MEAC's academic mission — is precisely the kind of multi-dimensional leadership the Nike Executive of the Year award is designed to spotlight.
For Washington DC's own Howard University Bison, a MEAC member with one of the most recognizable brands in HBCU culture, Stills' national profile matters directly. Howard's athletics programs, set in the heart of the nation's capital, benefit from conference leadership that commands respect in rooms from the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis to Nike's campus in Beaverton, Oregon. Explore more on Howard University and DC's HBCU community.
Why This Matters in Washington
Washington DC sits at the geographic and political center of the MEAC universe. Howard University's Burr Gymnasium and Greene Stadium host MEAC competition blocks from Georgia Avenue, and the conference's East Coast footprint — stretching from Norfolk to Baltimore to Raleigh — runs through corridors of Black political and economic power that DC knows intimately. When a MEAC commissioner earns national recognition, it registers on Capitol Hill, in the Wilson Building, and in the boardrooms of Shaw and Downtown DC where HBCU alumni networks hold serious influence.
Stills' recognition also lands in a city that has watched women shatter leadership ceilings across every sector. From congressional leadership to DC's own agency heads and nonprofit executives, Washington has become a proving ground for women in power. An HBCU conference commissioner earning a Nike-branded national award fits squarely within the capital's ongoing story of Black women building and sustaining institutional authority. Track the full landscape of DC's most influential figures at the WDCM DC Power Index.
Original Analysis: The Commissioner Effect on HBCU Brand Equity
Here's a trend worth watching: when HBCU conference commissioners accumulate national awards and visibility, corporate sponsorship inquiries to their member institutions measurably increase. The commissioner functions as a brand ambassador — their credibility and network directly shapes how Fortune 500 companies perceive the conference as a marketing and partnership vehicle. Stills' Nike Executive of the Year honor is not just a personal milestone. It is a brand equity event for every athletic department flying the MEAC banner, including Howard, Morgan State, and Norfolk State. Expect increased corporate outreach to MEAC schools in the 12 months following this recognition.
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FAQ: Commissioner Sonja Stills and the Nike Executive of the Year Award
Q: Who is Commissioner Sonja O. Stills? A: Sonja O. Stills is the Commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the prominent HBCU athletic conference whose 13 member institutions include Howard University, Morgan State, Hampton University, and North Carolina A&T. She is one of the highest-ranking Black women executives in collegiate athletics.
Q: What is the Nike Executive of the Year award? A: The Nike Executive of the Year award is presented by Women Leaders in Sports, a national organization founded in 1979 to advance women in athletics administration. The award recognizes an executive who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision, and impact within their sports organization.
Q: What is the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)? A: The MEAC is an NCAA Division I athletic conference comprising 13 historically Black colleges and universities, primarily located along the East Coast. Its member schools include Howard University in Washington DC, Morgan State in Baltimore, Hampton University in Virginia, and North Carolina A&T in Greensboro.
Q: Why is this award significant for HBCU athletics? A: Recognition of HBCU conference leadership at the national level raises the visibility and perceived legitimacy of HBCU athletic programs among corporate sponsors, media partners, and the broader sports industry. It also signals progress in diversifying executive leadership across collegiate athletics.
Q: What is Women Leaders in Sports? A: Women Leaders in Sports is one of the oldest professional organizations in American athletics, founded in 1979. It advocates for gender equity in sports leadership and provides professional development, networking, and recognition programs for women executives across collegiate and professional sports.
Q: How does this award affect Howard University and DC-based HBCU athletics? A: As a MEAC member institution, Howard University directly benefits when MEAC's commissioner gains national stature. Increased commissioner visibility typically attracts corporate partnership interest and NCAA advocacy leverage that flows to all member schools, including Howard's programs in Washington DC.
The bottom line: Commissioner Sonja O. Stills' Nike Executive of the Year honor from Women Leaders in Sports is more than a personal achievement — it's a signal moment for HBCU athletics, for women in sports leadership, and for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's growing national profile. With Howard University anchoring the conference in the nation's capital and HBCU athletics commanding unprecedented cultural attention, Stills' recognition arrives at exactly the right time. Washington DC's HBCU community has every reason to celebrate one of its own reaching the industry's highest recognition.
What to Watch Next: Monitor whether Stills parlays this recognition into expanded NCAA committee roles, new corporate sponsorship announcements for MEAC schools, or a heightened profile in the national conversation around college athletics governance reform — particularly as the NCAA navigates the post-House settlement landscape in 2026. Follow WDCM's Howard & HBCU coverage and Power Moves for updates.
Reporting drawn from: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
