Sarah Joseph didn’t really know what she was getting into when she first joined the Rockets organization as the Community Relations Director in 1994.
Sara Joseph
All Joseph knew was that she was being offered an opportunity that aligned with her career aspirations and was joining a franchise fresh off winning an NBA Championship.
“I didn’t know where this was going,” Joseph said. “I did not even know this position existed. I really didn’t.”
But as Joseph had done in her previous career at Channel 13, she jumped right in, made it her own, and used her position to positively impact the community by increasing the reach of the Rockets’ organization.
Now, nearly 32 years and a few promotions later, Joseph is one of the franchise’s more influential and recognized faces as the vice president of community relations and events. Joseph spearheads all aspects of the Rockets’ community initiatives, including service programs, fundraising, charitable partnerships and events, and youth outreach. Additionally, she works directly with Rockets players in developing individualized programs for how they get involved in the Houston Area.
Joseph joins Texas Southern Athletic Director Dr. Paula Jackson, Astros Foundation Executive Director and Astros Senior VP of Community Affairs Emelda Douglas, and Prairie View Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Alicia Pete as four Black women the Defender found to be impactful in Houston’s sports market in celebration of Black Women’s History Month in April.
“I absolutely enjoy it just by the mere fact of what I do is impacting this community, and that’s helping so many people,” Joseph said of her role. “It’s also being in sports. Sports are fun, at least at the Rockets. It’s been a ball to have this position.
“Our office is not a traditional office. Everything about it is fun. But when it comes to the impact that we are making in the community, when you think of 30 years of being able to touch lives, to help the community, we take that very seriously.”
Since joining the Rockets in 1994, she has transitioned from community relations director to director to vice president of community relations and events. Joseph is one of the longest-tenured executives in the organization, starting out under the leadership of former owner Leslie Alexander and now working for Tilman Fertitta, who took over as the Rockets’ owner in 2017.
Through the transitions of the team on the floor and the front office, Joseph says the areas of focus for her division have remained the same: Education, military and first responders, youth sports and disaster relief.
“The 30 years that I’ve been here, it has always been a dual … there are two main goals for the Rockets. We want to win championships, and we want to be a force in this community. That is always top of mind for us.
“For those of us who work inside of this organization, those are our two main goals. We want to win and …. We have just been committed to this community, and it’s really been great for me to have a position when you know that the leadership, the ownership is committed to this role. We are committed, not necessarily to my role, but we are committed to giving back. Our main goal in this community is really focused on helping the underserved in this community. So that has been a real blessing to be able to spearhead those efforts that are targeting our most vulnerable in this community. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Alicia Pete
Alicia Pete has been involved with Prairie View in some capacity almost as long as she can remember.
She started out as a volleyball player for the Panthers, came back initially as the bowling coach, then became their highly successful volleyball coach before transitioning over to the administrative side, where Pete is now the senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator.
In all, Pete has worked for her alma mater for nearly 30 years, where she has made a huge difference for the student-athletes.
Earlier this month, Pete was given the SWAC’s Game ChangeHer Award in recognition of her leadership, service and continued commitment to advancing equity and opportunity.
“Just giving back to the student athletes because I was a student athlete when we didn’t have as much,” said Pete, who guided the Panthers volleyball team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999 and was twice named SWAC Coach of the Year. “So my goal is to work with the student athletes as much as I can in mentoring and leadership and anything I can do just to get them on the right track.”
“I’m trying to do things that I can leave behind and say that I did accomplish a lot of things here at Prairie View. That’s being a mentor to young ladies, seeing the young ladies going out and getting a job. That’s always been my goal. Just trying to leave something behind.”
Alicia Pete
Pete’s impact on women’s sports at Prairie View is felt and appreciated by all on The Hill.
“She has touched everything at Prairie View athletics,” said Panthers’ softball coach Vernon Bland. “I don’t think we would be in the places that we are without her. She is everybody’s go-to.
“I don’t know where we would be without her.”
Dr. Paula Jackson
Last fall, Dr. Paula Jackson stepped into one of the most challenging situations of her career when she came aboard as the Texas Southern University’s interim athletic director after the school put its then Athletic Director Kevin Granger on leave of absence in the wake of sexual charges he faced.
Jackson has since steadied the ship and has focused on marketing, fundraising and her signature NIL initiatives. She recently facilitated her HBCU Masterclass, which she initiated while an administrator at Norfolk State University, on TSU’s campus.
Jackson is a veteran HBCU administrator with over 25 years of experience, including stops at Lincoln University, Mississippi Valley State, Hampton, and Norfolk State. She is still under the interim tag even though Granger has officially been fired. But Jackson has made it clear that she is serious about taking on the athletic director role at TSU, and as proof, she has relocated to Houston.
“Through her experience and dedication, Dr. Jackson has also expanded learning opportunities for our student-athletes and campus community in the rapidly evolving Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape,” said TSU President James Crawford III. “That exposure is invaluable as we position Texas Southern University to compete effectively in this new era of intercollegiate athletics.
Equally important has been her steadfast advocacy for our student-athletes and their coaches. Under her leadership, several of our programs have reached new heights. Our football team achieved its first winning season since 2000, and our men’s indoor track and field team secured a third consecutive SWAC championship—an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects the discipline, preparation, and excellence we expect across Tiger athletics.
We look forward to building on this momentum to pave the way for our transition in athletics leadership at Texas Southern.”
Emelda Douglas
Emelda Douglas has spent her career at the intersection of philanthropy, leadership and community engagement. As the executive director of the Astros Foundation and Sr. Vice President of Community Affairs for the Houston Astros, she took over last year from Paula McCann Harris, who led the Foundation for almost four years. Douglas is poised to take Houston’s beloved baseball team’s charitable arm to new heights.
With a background in nonprofit leadership and youth empowerment initiatives, Douglas has long championed underserved communities. Her vision for the Astros is clear: Expand the community programs with a focus on education, health and youth engagement while increasing diversity in baseball.
“My initial focus is building strong community connections through meaningful stakeholder dialogue,” Douglas said. “We want to bring new initiatives with the most significant community impact. I’m particularly passionate about literacy and wellness programs for youth and women from marginalized communities.”
One of Douglas’ primary goals is increasing access to baseball for young athletes of color. Under her leadership, the Astros Foundation will maintain 23 City of Houston baseball fields in underserved communities and provide uniforms to over 2,000 youth at no cost.
