Etienne Thomas came to Winston-Salem State University in 2019 after serving at Kentucky State University as the director of athletics.
So far under her leadership, the Rams have captured CIAA Championships in men’s basketball (2020), (2022), outdoor track and field (2022) (2025) and women's flag football (2025).
In 2025 she was the MOAA Charles Whitcomb Service Award recipient and was named the Jeanette Lee Athletic Administrator of the Year.
At KSU, she partnered with the coaches and staff in moving the department “Onward, Upward, and Forward” in alignment with the university’s mission. Her efforts were realigning the cheerleading program within the athletics department and hiring a permanent head coach; creating a director of strength & conditioning position, and establishing a men’s volleyball program. Additionally, the Thorobreds replaced the basketball game floor for the William Exum Center and returned the administrative offices to the historic Bell Gymnasium. At the conclusion of the 2019 football campaign, KSU began the process of installing synthetic turf in Alumni Stadium. Thomas’ time at KSU was also highlighted by championship game participation in women’s volleyball and women’s volleyball, as well as the selection of the university’s first academic All-American.
Prior to Thomas’ arrival in Frankfort, she served Kansas Athletics as the associate athletics director of student life beginning in 2017. Thomas served as KU’s liaison with the Office of Institutional Opportunity & Access (IOA) and oversaw diversity, gender equity, and inclusion education and training for student-athletes, coaches, and staff, as well as student conduct for KU Athletics. She was also the sports supervisor for rowing. Prior to Kansas, Thomas began working at North Carolina Central University in 2008 as the associate athletic director for internal operations/senior woman administrator before being promoted to senior associate athletics director for internal operations/senior woman administrator in the fall of 2016.
Before her time at NCCU, Thomas served as the director of compliance at San Jose State University. She added the duties of associate athletics director in July 2006. As a sports supervisor in the Spartans’ 16-sports program, she oversaw men’s and women’s soccer and softball.
She also worked at Howard University (2002-03) in Washington, D.C.; Saint Paul’s College (2001-02) in Lawrenceville, Virginia; and at North Carolina Central University (2001-02).
Thomas is a member of the Junior League of Winston-Salem, a member of the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina community leadership council, 2021 Leadership Winston-Salem Alum serving on the Opening Retreat Committee, a member of the WSSU Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet and a proud lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
A native of Waterloo, Iowa, and raised in Hempstead, New York, Thomas is a 1996 graduate of North Carolina Central University majored in political science. She has completed coursework for a J.D. degree from The University of Iowa College of Law. Thomas, is married to Byron Thomas, of Oxford, North Carolina, and a UNC-Chapel Hill former football student-athlete, and she is the mother of Jermaine (12) and cousin/guardian to Sydney.
