By Justin Walls
Monica Lewis, Ph.D., director of Development for Jackson State University Athletics, was named one of 2022’s Top 50 Distinguished Leading Business Women in Mississippi. The recognition program presented by the Mississippi Business Journal honors Mississippi’s most powerful and influential women business leaders.
Lewis was selected from several hundred qualified nominations of businesswomen in top management and leadership positions across Mississippi.
“I am extremely honored to be a part of such a dynamic group. This strong network of business and community-minded women are shaping the growth and positive impact of the entire state of Mississippi,” she said.
Lewis has garnered over $11.2 million for Jackson State University over nine years through her fundraising initiatives and program implementation. She also serves as a campus advisor for the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF)/ HBCU initiative.
A native of Carthage, Mississippi, Lewis joined JSU in 2014 and also serves as the executive director of the JSU Tiger Fund Athletic Foundation. She was recently selected for the Leadership Mississippi 2022 class and nominated for Marquis Who’s Who.
Lewis is a proud alumna of JSU. She holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management (CFRM) from the Lilly Family of Philanthropy at Indiana University and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Lewis is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Junior League of Jackson. She is a charter member of the JSU Madison County Alumni Chapter, a life member of the JSU National Alumni Association, a member of the Leake County NAACP, Women for Progress of MS, Inc., Blue Bengal Athletic Association, Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofit and Philanthropy to name a few. She also serves on various nonprofit and community-based boards.
