NORFOLK, Va. - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced the promotion of Sonja Stills to Associate Commissioner and Patricia Porter and Raynoid Dedeaux to Assistant Commissioner’s for the conference.
“I am elated to announce the promotions of Sonja Stills, Patricia Porter and Raynoid Dedeaux within the MEAC office,” said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas. “The promotions of these three individuals indicate that they have served the conference and our membership well. I congratulate them on the excellent job that they have done and look forward to their continued outstanding work in the future.”
Sonja Stills is entering her 11th year at the MEAC. Previously serving as the Assistant Commissioner for Administration & Compliance, Stills will now serve as the conference’s Associate Commissioner and continues her role as the conference’s Senior Woman Administrator.
Since her arrival to the MEAC, Stills has held the positions of Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and Director of Compliance. She also serves as the Coordinator of the MEAC Cheerleading Championships. She serves as the conference’s liaison to the MEAC Senior Woman Administrators, Executive Committee, Athletic Academic Support Association and Delegate Assembly as well as she serves on the Policy Committee for the Costal Collegiate Swimming Association. Ms. Stills also served on the NCAA Legislative Council and the NCAA Football Championship Subcommittee (FCS).
Stills began her career in athletics in 1998 at Hampton University as the Coordinator of Academic Support for the Pirate’s Athletics Department and as the Senior Woman Administrator. Stills held both positions until 2002 before moving to the MEAC office. Prior to joining the athletics department, she served as the Assistant to the Dean of Women at Hampton University for two years.
She is a 2002 graduate of the Sports Management Institute and a 2008 graduate of the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement.
Patricia Porter, entering into her seventh year with the conference, began her duties as Director of Media Relations in November 2006. Three years later, she assumed additional duties and was named the Director of Media Relations/Corporate Partnerships & Marketing.
As the Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations, Porter will continue to oversee the conference’s communications and serve as the primary contact for football and men’s basketball. She will also serve as the direct supervisor of the Director of Corporate Partnerships and Marketing and Assistant Director of Media Relations.
Porter joined the MEAC after serving five years (2001-2006) as the Director of Communications in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Development League and Southwest Basketball LLC.
In 1999, she was named Director of Sports Information at Hampton University. During her three-year stint at Hampton Porter served as the primary contact for football and men’s basketball and served as the liaison for the institution’s 11 Division-I athletic programs.
She began her career in collegiate athletics at her alma mater, Johnson C. Smith University, where she served as Sports Information Director and Senior Woman Administrator from June 1998 – July 1999.
The Atlanta, Georgia native currently lives in Virginia Beach with her son, Micah (6).
Raynoid Dedeaux was promoted to Assistant Commissioner for Championships after spending the last five years as Director of Championships. Dedeaux’s responsibilities include managing all football and men’s basketball operations, supervising the officiating programs, and managing all MEAC championships. He also serves as the liaison to the MEAC Head Coaches and Directors of Athletics and is the overall manager of the conference’s annual Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Dedeaux was named Assistant Director of Championships & Compliance in July 2006. He returned to the conference after serving as an intern from August 2004 to June 2005. From July 2005 to June 2006 he worked as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Coppin State University.
Dedeaux currently serves on the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee and the Division-I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.
Dedeaux received a bachelors and master’s degree from Alcorn State University. A native of DeLisle, Mississippi, Dedeaux currently resides in Chesapeake, Virginia with his wife Shamika and daughter Kristyn (1).