The Lewis Legacy

When T.J. Lewis ’97 was recruited in 1993 to play basketball at Queens, he never imagined that a small school would have such a huge impact on his life. Though he met the love of his life, Charmain Lewis ’98, before his time as a Royal, their relationship fully blossomed when they attended Queens. They married in 1998 and their son, Dillon Lewis ’25, was born soon after.

Though T.J., who serves as the senior director of supplier diversity and sustainability at Ally Financial, recently stepped away from the Queens Board of Trustees after 16 years of service, the Lewis legacy continues as Dillon has stepped up to the plate – sort of.

The oldest of three boys, like his father, Dillon is an athlete. In 2020, after Queens Head Baseball Coach Ross Steedley saw him play, he knew right away he wanted Dillon at Queens.

“For years, Dillon didn’t want to come to Queens because it didn’t have baseball,” T.J. said. “He talked to several other schools and my advice to him was to go where he felt most comfortable. But when Coach Steedley wanted him, Dillon made the choice. I stayed out of it.”

Both T.J. and Charmain, who serves as associate director of digital engagement in the Office of University Advancement at Queens, won’t deny that they were thrilled by Dillon’s choice.

“The decision was less of my father attending the school and more of the opportunities he was able to provide for me because of his involvement in Queens after his playing days,” said Dillon.

“It’s been very cool to watch full circle how people wanted him to come to Queens just as they did me years earlier,” T.J. said. “The most surreal moment was at Dillon’s first game. It was the ninth inning, Queens was down by six with two outs, and he hit the game-winning single! At that moment I realized that Queens is part of my family.”

T.J. calls his time on the Board of Trustees, “the honor of a lifetime.”

“Watching the profile of Queens grow and the caliber of the board get stronger and stronger as it takes on monumental projects like the transition to Division 1, is just incredible,” he said. “It’s elevating Queens way beyond sports. I’m just proud to have been a consistent part of the value the institution brings to the community.”

T.J. recalls playing Division 1 Winthrop University in basketball back when both divisions could play during the regular season.

“When I played, we knew we could compete at the highest level and even beat Winthrop one season,” T.J. said. “It’s great to see Queens competing now consistently on a Division 1 level for all sports.”

“It’s hard to put into words how excited I am for the upcoming baseball season,” said Dillon. “The opportunity for every one of us to put our skills on display on the national stage is something that not many people get to experience.”