Long-term planning with MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Commissioner Sonja Stills joins ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2024 Women Leaders Convention to reflect on strategic planning, realignment and expansion, and the role of athletics in shaping the culture at an HBCU. Stills introduces Brown to the concept of “long-term” planning and provides insight into her methods for fostering collaboration among league CEOs and establishing buy-in among conference members. Stills: (Conference presidents give me) “the freedom to steer the conference in the right direction. We have a strategic and long-term plan… and all stakeholders support us. If we stick to it, they will understand my vision, because I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t accept my vision for the conference.” Stills emphasizes the importance of consistently evaluating and realigning the plan to reflect ongoing changes and impacts of decisions such as the agreement of the House of Representatives on the conference members to be taken into account. Stills also discusses the development of the MEAC Foundation to strengthen the foundation of the Elite Eight as the league considers expansion and details the process for defining eligibility for potential future members.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click on the timestamp to jump to a specific question/topic).