Today, the HBCU Campaign Fund (HCF) Founder, President, and CEO Demetrius Johnson, Jr., has announced the next selection of the honorees of the ninth class of The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2026. Joining the previously named honorees is Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker. Her selection to the prestigious honor makes her the third individual affiliated with HBCU athletics to receive such recognition. McWilliams’ leadership highlights her deep passion for advancing HBCU athletics and her significant contributions to their communities.

“Join us in congratulating Commissioner McWilliams for her visionary and dynamic leadership in advancing HBCU athletics and shaping the next generation of champions within the CIAA member institutions. Her invaluable contributions have propelled the conference into national prominence as one of the premier HBCU athletic conferences. I am thrilled by her selection to join SHC founder Fred Jones, Jr., and SWAC Commissioner McClelland as Dominant Leaders representing athletics. As the first female Commissioner of the CIAA, we are deeply grateful for her continued leadership and proudly support the league’s ongoing commitment to building a legacy of “Legacy, Leadership, and Community.”

– Demetrius Johnson, Jr., founder, President & CEO, HCF

The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders Award & Class is a national recognition created by the HBCU Campaign Fund that identifies ten chancellors and presidents, and as of 2024, sports-affiliated individuals serving in the role at an HBCU, MSI, or affiliated with who exemplify a prominent and influential role in leadership and model the characteristics of following responsibilities in the progression of an institution or entity forward.

McWilliams has served as the Commissioner for CIAA since 2012, making history as the first woman to hold this position. She also holds the distinction of being the first African-American female Commissioner representing NCAA Division I, II and III.

Prior to being name Commissioner for the CIAA, McWilliams spent nine years at the NCAA managing NCAA championships to include both the men’s and women’s Division I Basketball tournaments. She started her career in coaching, compliance and administration at Virginia Union University with career growth opportunities at the CIAA, Norfolk State University and Morgan State University prior to the NCAA.

During McWilliams time as Commissioner, her achievement includes:

• Improved overall financial bottom line of the CIAA by more than $2.1 million
• Launched a new CIAA logo design.
• Negotiated a 6-year extension valued at 2.5 million annually with Charlotte, NC for the CIAA Basketball Tournament and relocated the CIAA offices to Charlotte, NC.
• Negotiated a 7-year partnership with Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment.|
• Brokered a partnership with AspireTV to television football and basketball games.
• Signed a conference-wide apparel deal with Under Armour and BSN and launched the first CIAA online store.
• Welcomed Claflin University as a new member of the conference.
• Launched the CIAA Sports Network.
• Created the campaign celebrating 75 years of CIAA basketball tournament and 15 years in Charlotte – over $650 million in economic impact. 
• Negotiated the deal and the subsequent extension with Baltimore, MD to move the CIAA Basketball Tournament.
• Cultivated the partnership with NFL Leadership for HBCU/CIAA initiatives.
• Innovator for the CIAA Virtual Basketball Tournament in partnership with Baltimore with 9051 registrants and 1.4 million social media impressions. 
• Executed Multi-year Agreement with ESPN Through at Least 2024 for Men’s and Women’s Tournament Championship Games to Air on ESPNU and All 22 Tournament Games. 
• Executed in-person CIAA Basketball Tournament in Covid with an economic impact of 19 million in the first year hosted in Baltimore.  
• Served as the 40th President of Women Leaders in College Sports 

Prior to being named a Dominant Leader, McWilliams was inducted into the Sierra High School High School Hall of Fame (2004), Temple University’s Gallery of Success (2006) and Outstanding alumni (2013), Hampton University Hall of Fame (2018), and Virginia Union University Hall of Fame (2021). She was also selected as a member of the 2013 class of Women in Sports Business Journal Game Changer.

McWilliams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hampton University, a Master of Arts in Sports Management and Administration from Temple University. She has two sport athlete at Hampton and was a member of the Hampton University 1988 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship team and Freshmen player of the year in 1988 and Player of the year for CIAA Volleyball in 1990.

The honorees of The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2026 and Ninth Class will be fully announced in early 2026.

###

About the HBCU Campaign Fund
The HBCU Campaign Fund (HCF) was founded in 2012 and is one of the nation’s minority educational organizations. HCF remains a strong advocate for students and higher education. The mission of HCF is to support the significance and raise funds for scholarships, programs, and for private and public HBCUs and MSIs. For more information, visit www.hbcucampaignfund.org.