Dr. Jolisa Williams enters her fourth season with the Bulldog family as the Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and Strategic Engagement after serving as the department's Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations for three years. Dr. Williams serves as the number two within the department and manages all strategic Athletic Department projects and initiatives; and assists in coordinating Athletic Department functions and events including donor events, game-day marketing and promotions, university team functions, and CIAA Conference and NCAA activities and tournaments.
Additionally, Dr. Williams assists, coordinates, and leads special projects including sport-specific marketing and brand enhancement plans, targeted external events, and donor engagement and cultivation activities while overseeing athletic communications for all 13 varsity sport teams.
Prior to Dr. Williams arrival to Bowie State, she served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Shaw University from 2015-2021. During her tenure at Shaw, Dr. Williams rebranded and set new heights for the media relations area that included a redesign of the athletic website, and enhancement of the athletic social media platforms – which was ranked amongst the top 30 amongst DII and first in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference (2017). Furthermore, she introduced the “Shaw Report” a weekly podcast that featured coaching interviews, recaps, and previews of athletic events.
Dr. Williams led the department streaming platform also known as “The Shaw Bears Sports Network” in which the department streamed football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer and softball all in one season for the first time in the department's history.
Over the years, Dr. Williams has had a great deal of experience covering championship-caliber programs at Shaw. Williams handled the publicity for the 2016 women’s volleyball team, which captured their first CIAA championship in 21 years and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Additionally, she also managed the 2018 CIAA championship run for the Lady Bears women’s volleyball team and second appearance in the NCAA tournament. As for the women’s tennis team, Williams also had the pleasure of covering the Lady Bears three-peat (2017, 2018, 2019) CIAA Championship success and several NCAA tournament appearances.
Dr. Williams was named the CIAA John Holley Sports Information Director of the Year in 2018-19 and again following the 2016-17 year – which at the time was just her second year at Shaw.
Since 2017, Dr. Williams served as a member of the CIAA Management Council. She was appointed to her management council seat after being elected president of the CIAA Sports Information Directors Association (CIAA-SIDA). Now Dr. Williams serves as the CIAA Northern Division Vice President on Management Council.
Dr. Williams spent time as the Director of Sports Information & Marketing at Richard Bland College in 2014. During her time there, she was the main contact for all nine-sport teams including the men's basketball program that captured the 2015 Region 10 Conference title and NJCAA National Championship for DII basketball. She was also responsible for the 2015 Region 10 regular-season champion softball team and five track and field national qualifiers.
Prior to Richard Bland, Dr. Williams interned at Virginia State University where she aided the athletic department in various areas. Along with assisting with publicity for basketball, football and baseball, she served as the primary contact for women's basketball, volleyball, women's tennis and softball. Dr. Williams also played a role in growing VSU athletics' social media platforms as a graduate student.
A 2012 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Saint Augustine's University, Dr. Williams earned her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. As a four-year letterwinner for the Lady Falcons women's basketball team, Dr. Williams served as the starting point guard and contributed to the CIAA Western Division title in 2009-10 as well as three CIAA Team Highest GPA Awards for women's basketball during her tenure.
Dr. Williams earned her Doctorate in Athletic Administration from National University formely known as Northcentral University in 2022 and a Master's degree in Sport Management from Virginia State University in 2014.
A native of Charles City, Va., Dr. Williams was All-District First Team recipient for four years at Charles City High School, where she ranks second on the all-time scoring list and current leader assist leader. She averaged 21.1 points, 4.2 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game. Dr. Williams was inducted into the Charles City High School Hall of Fame on December 3, 2023.
Dr. Williams holds memberships with Women Leaders, College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BC-SIDA) and most recently became a graduate of the prestigious Dr. Charles Whitcomb NCAA Leadership Institute in 2023.
