Sandra Douglass Morgan knew at an early age while growing up in Las Vegas that she would be treated differently because of her mixed race and the color of her skin. The sports executive, who has a Black father and Korean mother said that she remembers conversations between her parents who would talk about racism they experienced living in Nevada’s capital, so when she grew up, she knew that no matter what, she would demand respect and equitable circumstances in whatever career she decided to take on.
Now the 44-year-old has made history by becoming the first Black woman to become president of an NFL team, the Las Vegas Raiders.
In a CNBC profile of Douglass Morgan’s career journey, she said she never saw herself staying in the Sin City for long. She intended to move to California and pursue a journalism career. But during a course at the University of Nevada, she said a course in constitutional law changed her mind. She would eventually go to law school at the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV and become a litigation attorney for The Mirage casino resort before becoming the North Las Vegas city attorney in 2008, making her the first Black person in Nevada’s history to take on the role.
Following a stint in law, she went on to work as the director of external affairs for AT&T and served on the Nevada Gaming Commission before shattering another glass ceiling by becoming the first Black person to serve as chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Then during the Covid-19 pandemic, she led the openings and closing of casinos in Las Vegas — “an experience that taught her how to lead under pressure like no other,” according to the report.
“There was no blueprint, no one could tell me what to do,” Douglass Morgan said. “I quickly learned not to be afraid of making an unpopular decision, because ultimately I had to trust my gut and do what I felt was best for the people I managed and whose safety I was responsible for.”
She would eventually leave the post in 2020 and become legal counsel for Covington & Burling LLP law firm, start a consulting firm and join the Las Vegas committee for Super Bowl LVIII.
Now with almost two decades of legal, business and political experience behind her, she knew she was ready to step into new territory. In 2021, she approached Raiders owner Mark Davis and told him that if he ever needed business or legal advice, she would be there to help. Months later, the team’s two presidents abruptly stepped down from their positions. At the time, she had no idea she would be tapped to be the new president.
The Raiders had considered many candidates to fill the role, but her name kept coming up to take on the job, she said he told her.
In the beginning, she was hesitant. “I didn’t see myself working in the front office of one of the most iconic franchises in football,” but after much thought and conversations with trusted family and friends, she decided to take the job.
“I knew it would be an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and would bring with it the opportunity to make a positive, lasting impact on my community,” she said.
One of the most fulfilling parts of being the Raiders’ president is the stories she hears from fans who say their children are inspired knowing that they, too, can become presidents of NFL teams. Such is the case for one man, a father of two, who said that his children both dream of playing for the Raiders one day.
“He told me that he brings his son and daughter to the games and that his son always talks about wanting to play for the Raiders, while her daughter says nothing,” she remembered. “But when she saw me on the field, she turned to her dad and said, ‘Maybe I can work for the Raiders, too.'”
She added: “I realized, at that moment, that this job is much bigger than me. It’s giving people hope and visibility and optimism that this is something you can strive for.”
Overall, she hopes that her role as president will inspire a new wave of young leaders who want to reach the top of the playing field in sports.
“To me, the definition of success isn’t being the first — it’s to have many, many others follow behind you,” she concluded. “It’s incredibly important to uplift and support the next generation of leaders. I don’t want sports, or other male-dominated industries, to be a trail anymore — I want it to be an eight-lane highway, open to all.”
