HBCU Commissioners, Presidents Gather at Sports Leadership Reception at Gensler in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --

HBCU conference commissioners, university presidents and corporate partners gathered Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Washington for the Salute to HBCU Sports Leadership Reception, an invitation-only event focused on strengthening support for historically Black colleges and universities.

The event took place at Gensler’s K Street office and brought together leaders from HBCU athletic conferences, along with executives and civic leaders. Its stated goal was to celebrate HBCU athletics and encourage partnerships that support education, sports, workforce development, and economic opportunity.

The evening’s theme was “Building Partnerships. Celebrating Excellence. Advancing HBCUs.”

The Gensler posted on social media about its partnership with Paxton Baker, highlighting the gathering of HBCU presidents and athletic conference commissioners.

Five HBCU conferences represented

The reception included commissioners representing four NCAA conferences and the HBCU Athletic Conference, which competes in the NAIA:

Anthony Holloman, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Charles McClelland, Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Jacqie McWilliams Parker, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Sonja Stills, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Kiki Baker Barnes, HBCU Athletic Conference.

Their participation brought together leaders whose institutions compete across NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and the NAIA.

The gathering also connected athletic conference leadership with campus presidents and organizations working in sports, media, design and event management.

University presidents and Black press leadership

Prairie View A&M University President Tomikia P. LeGrande and Bowie State University President Aminta H. Breaux were among the campus leaders who attended.

LeGrande’s appearance followed her selection for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Educational Leadership Award. Prairie View A&M announced that she would be honored at the organization’s 39th Anniversary Gala on Sept. 12 in Washington.

LeGrande became Prairie View A&M’s ninth president in June 2023.

Breaux has led Bowie State since July 2017 and previously chaired the CIAA’s board of directors, according to her university biography.

Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, also attended. The NNPA, which represents Black newspaper publishers, was among the reception’s presenting partners.

"Dr. Chavis and Lawrencia Moten (HBCU GO) interviewed the commissioners in two 30-minute sessions about the NIL era, their conferences' growth, and perspectives of being sports leaders," HBCU GO President Curtis Symonds told HBCU Legends.

His participation placed Black press leadership alongside the university and conference officials whose institutions it covers.

Sports, media and design partners

Five organizations partnered to present the reception:

Gensler, the architecture and design firm that hosted the gathering.
Events DC, the District of Columbia’s convention and sports authority.
USA Track & Field, the sport’s national governing body.
National Newspaper Publishers Association, representing Black newspaper publishers.
HBCU GO, the network focused on HBCU sports and culture.

The lineup brought several areas of potential collaboration into the same room, including athletic facilities, event operations, sports programming and media coverage.

Those connections aligned with the reception’s emphasis on partnerships extending beyond competition to education, career development and economic opportunity.

A focus on relationships beyond competition

The reception’s significance lay in its mix of decision-makers in attendance: commissioners responsible for conference leadership, presidents overseeing institutional priorities, and partners with resources and expertise across several industries.

It’s a pivotal time in college sports, especially for the HBCUs. This setting allows for discussion of shared interests and relationship-building. Its stated purpose centered on building support for HBCUs, with athletics serving as a connection point for broader institutional opportunities.

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