Sandra Douglass Morgan has become the first African American female team president in NFL history. Mark Davis, the Las Vegas Raiders’ owner, has followed in his father’s footsteps and entrusted the business operations to a local lawyer. In 1997, legendary owner Al Davis hired Amy Trask to be his CEO.
Sandra Douglass Morgan, the Sith queen.
“From the moment I met Sandra, I knew she was a force to be reckoned with.” —Mark Davis
Being a pioneer is nothing new to Morgan. One could say she’s been a first her whole professional life. Morgan has compiled a dazzling resume, including becoming the first chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board; Deputy City Attorney to the Chief Deputy City Attorney; and Assistant City Attorney for the City of North Las Vegas. Currently, she is a member of the advisory board at Cerebrus Sentinel as well.
Morgan shares many similarities with the former Raiders CEO, Trask. Much like the Princess of Darkness, Morgan is edgy. She is in absolute control of every situation; a shark when it comes to calculating dollars and cents; and has the requisite soft spot for her community.
Trask, who attended Cal Berkley and USC, grew up in northern and southern California, both the former Raiders’ home states. Morgan earned her degrees in the state of Nevada. A B.A. in Political Science and Communication from the University of Reno and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law.
Raiders believe in equal opportunity
Former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney is credited with the creation of the Rooney Rule, instituted in 2003. Al Davis hired the first Latino head coach, the first female CEO, and the first African American head coach. Since Al’s passing in 2011, Mark has picked up the mantle of equal opportunity and continued to push forward. While the rest of the league is still working on hiring minority coaches and lower front office staff positions, Mark is light years ahead.
After cleaning house from top to bottom in his organization, Davis and the Raiders’ front office have an abundance of diversity. Marcel Reece, the former fullback and matchup nightmare, is the Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, and is second in command to only Mark Davis. Michael Crome, the team’s chief financial officer, will be working alongside Morgan, who will be the team’s president. All are minority members of the Raiders’ board.
The diversity doesn’t stop at the front office; it traverses into the football side of things too. Champ Kelly is the assistant general manager. Dwayne Joseph is the director of pro player personnel. Also, Dujuan Daniels is the senior national scout, and Lenny McGill is another national scout.
The perfect hire
With the addition of Morgan, Davis hit the ball out of the park. She looks like a Raider, talks like a Raider, is ruthless like a Raider, and most importantly, is a bad ass, just like a Raider. A public relations checkmate in terms of the recent issues plaguing the Raiders. The Raiders organization just got richer.
“I’m coming to a success.” -Sandra Douglass Morgan.
[pickup_prop id=”19025″]
*Top Photo: NSN Nevada Sports Net
