Maia Chaka ’06
Maia Chaka is a trailblazer on the football field. She was the first female African American on-field official in the NFL. Make Meaningful Change is a charitable foundation that Chaka founded. Make Meaningful Change provides her with a way to continue helping young people and promoting education as a retired Virginia Beach educator. In addition, she started teaching physical education at a high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, after graduating. Chaka started officiating flag football and intramural basketball at NSU.
After graduating, she officiated Pop Warner football games, making history as the first female high school state championship referee in Virginia. She was able to advance to Division I in Conference USA collegiate football as a result. Chaka earned a degree in Health and Physical Education from Norfolk State University in 2006. Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall at NSU is named for her great uncle, who refereed football and basketball for 32 years in the CIAA. At the time of her hiring, Wayne Mackie was the vice president of officiating development, and Chaka was his protégé. For five seasons, she participated in the development program that today carries his name.
Furthermore, she also co-facilitated professional development training during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped educators better comprehend and manage the online learning environment.