Shelia Crump Johnson

Shelia Crump Johnson graduated from the University of Illinois in 1970 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She was the first female African American cheerleader at the University of Illinois. In 1979, Shelia co-founded the ground breaking Black Entertainment Television (BET) network. She is also the Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment and the only African American woman to hold a stake in three professional sports teams: the NBA Wizards, the WNBA Mystics, and the NHL Capitals. She is a founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and has served as Executive Producer on four documentary films. Other significant achievements include being appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities by former President Obama.