SANDRA DOUGLASS MORGAN

The NFL Gets Its First Black Female President

The Las Vegas Raiders made national history Thursday, July 7, 2022, when they hired Las Vegas attorney, Sandra Douglass Morgan as their new team president. Her appointment created a landmark shift in the NFL franchise’s 102-year history when she became the first Black woman to hold that title for an NFL franchise.

Morgan is a Las Vegas native, and some may wonder if a woman is qualified to take on a position such as this. “I have a background in working with large corporations, and so I understand budgeting, financing and corporate structures and operations.” It is apparent she is not sitting on her laurels, she is a former Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman, served as the vice chair of the Las Vegas Super Bowl host committee, was on the board of directors for Caesars Entertainment and Allegiant Travel Co. In addition, she was the Director of External Affairs for AT&T Services Inc., worked for the Nevada State Athletic Commission and served as an attorney for the City of North Las Vegas as a litigation attorney for MGM Resorts International.

While her appointment as the first Black female President is the first of its kind in the NFL, she has been “first” before: she was the first person of color to chair the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the first African-American City Attorney in the state of Nevada, is now the third woman and third Black person to become president of an NFL team.

Some are wondering how this amazing appointment came to be. Amazingly, the Raiders Owner, Mark Davis called and answered that question from his own lips. This was the brief conversation: “Hi Mark, your ears must have been burning… I’m in the middle of an interview and they just asked if you approached me, or I approached you to get the job… she’s here in my office. It’s with the Women’s

Chamber… I did not answer the question because the phone rang, and it was you which I thought was funny.” When the conversation was over, Morgan hung up the phone and relayed Davis’s response, “Did you tell her I was stalking you?” And there you have it! Davis was on a mission to bring Morgan on board as the Raiders new President.

With that in mind, Morgan went on to say, “You never know who you are going to run into, or when. So, make sure you are prepared – opportunity meets preparation with a little bit of luck, and your reputation too comes into effect,” she added. “It’s kind of funny, he made a comment to someone; “No, she didn’t know I was interviewing her for the last few months.”

In addition to her corporate qualifications, Morgan and Davis believe she is ideal for this position based on her background as a former player’s wife. She is married to former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals safety Don Morgan. Together, the couple has two children, Dylan, and Dana. “Knowing some of the team needs and what’s expected during the season will be a plus” she said. “I think understanding the game and understanding the needs of the game, are necessary”. One of the many things

By Amie Jo Greer Director of Entertainment Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada

she wants to focus on this season is helping the players and supporting their families as they relocate to Las Vegas.

Before accepting this position Morgan took a deep look into the Raiders history to explore their alignment; what she found was inviting. “The Raiders have a very, very long history well before me, of doing things a little bit differently when it comes to teams,” Morgan said. “Whether it be hiring the first Hispanic head coach to win a Super Bowl title (Tom Flores), or the first African American head coach, Art Schell.”

When she had an opportunity to sit down and talk to Mark, she said, “I knew my skillset was going to be accepted. Not just because I’m a Black woman, but he knew my values were going to be aligned with the Raiders commitment to excellence.”

As president, Morgan will be responsible for a plethora of duties including but not limited to the team’s finances, everything from salaries, budgeting, sales and sponsorships and anything involving the stadium operations, everything involving non-football personnel, corporate sales, stadium activities, communications, and any potential business ventures, and partnerships that the Raiders do. She is not sitting on her laurels. “I have a background in working with large corporations, and so I understand budgeting, financing and corporate structures and operations.” obviously Mexico City and Monterrey and increasing our fanbase there. We have 40M visitors to southern Nevada and Mexico is the 2nd highest country of visitors”.

While so many exciting things have been shared, the elephant in the room remains; Is it a challenge or an asset that she is a young, Black woman in a maledominated industry? Morgan enthusiastically stated, “I think that it’s an asset, because any role I go into, especially knowing I came from Gaming - a very majority male-dominated industry from an executive level - I try not to think that I’m being put in a box when I walk in those boardrooms.“ Morgan warmly expressed, “I‘ve been welcomed and embraced and I think that it is, at least with the companies that I’ve been affiliated with, their understanding and welcoming a different point of view.” She added, “And not necessarily a different point of view, but wanting to understand how people see the world in a different lens and how that could translate into the boardroom and business decisions. And ultimately, into generating revenues as well.”

While the Raiders are a well-developed organization, when it comes to visionary goals for their fanbase, the question remains, what is your vision? Morgan stated, “Growth. There’s always opportunity for growth. I think with Oakland there was certainly a strong dedicated fan base, and we have one here in Las Vegas that can be bigger. Fan engagement is one of the owner’s priorities and I think that’s wonderful”.

In addition, the Raiders are not looking for growth in their own backyard. Their sights are on an international market as well. According to Morgan, “Last week, we announced a partnership with Viva Aerobus which is our official Mexican Airline partner. We were granted the ability to have Mexico as one of our international home markets. The CEO of Aerobus mentioned

As a woman who is making a difference, Morgan’s new position has not only thrust her into a new organization, but it has also thrust her into the spotlight as a role model for girls and women. She has become a role model that helps them dream of a future they once thought was impossible. Morgan shared what this has personally meant for her, “It’s an honor for me. If there is even one woman who says I have given them inspiration to do something they didn’t think they could do, or helped them to not limit their opportunities, I’m incredibly blessed and thankful, because it is an honor to do that.”

When it comes to advice for acquiring success, she said, “Believe in yourself, focus on what you can do and not the limitations that you perceive you may have. Be open to try new things, try different industries. There are so many self-learning opportunities out there, there’s videos and YouTube, or different subscriptions you can sign up for that are free and learn about how your skillset translates into another industry. Push yourself to meet people. I think it’s important to meet different people with different backgrounds. We can get to the WHY with people.”

After sharing so much of her life, career, and experiences since becoming the first Black president of an NFL team, the thing that Morgan has not shared with anyone about this experience comes as a surprise to me and to her as well. “I’m talking to more people, and people that are outside of this sports arena, and they say, “you don't know what this means for us or what this means for women in leadership or girls in leadership.” She confessed, “When I accepted this job my husband I talked about it, we thought it was great and we were like, let's go for it. But what I didn't expect was the amount of interest. I knew during my press conference there would be questions and after that it would just kind of be done. I think I underestimated that.”

Patricia Lee