Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes has been Athletic Director of Dillard University in New Orleans for 16 years. She is a respected community and academic leader, university advocate, and innovator. Dr. Barnes’ next chapter is as Commissioner of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.(GCAC). She will be the first black female Commissioner – one of just four black women in the country who hold that title.
The GCAC is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference is made up of members representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and is only one of five in the United States across all intercollegiate sports made up of HBCU institutions. Dillard is a member institution.
Dr. Barnes leaves a rich legacy of achievement when she departs Dillard University. A few highlights of her remarkable work includes creating and launching Dillard’s Bleu Devil Classic, a much anticipated powerhouse annual basketball event that brings together local HBCUs, families, and alumnae and is a tremendous funding generator for Dillard. Scholarship endowments and the establishment of a Hall of Fame were also spearheaded by Dr. Barnes.
The New Orleans (LA) Chapter congratulates Dr. Barnes on this stellar achievement – one so richly deserved. She leaves Dillard on June 1, 2022.
