USTA Annual Meeting News – Candidates for the Board of Directors Announced

The proposed slate of officers and at-large directors for the USTA Maryland Board of Directors for the 2011-2012 term of office has been announced. The nominees are:

President: Gordon Mikkelson, Montgomery County

First Vice President: Marc Kantrowitz, Baltimore City

Second Vice President: Jerome Countee, Prince George’s County

Secretary: Sol Lopez, Montgomery County

Treasurer: Richard Kent, Howard County

Delegate to MAS: Carol Wood, Montgomery County

At Large Director: Keith Puryear, Baltimore County

At Large Director: Marjorie Goldman, Montgomery County

At Large Director: Adrienne Francis, Prince George’s County

The slate was announced August 27 by the chair of the USTA Maryland Nominating Committee, Francis Kreysa, on behalf of the nominating committee. The members of the committee are: Jim Cummings, Baltimore County; Russell Fink, Anne Arundel County; Brenda Gilmore, Prince George’s County; and Dave Pullen, Montgomery County.

The USTA Maryland Annual Meeting and Awards Lunch is October 30, 2010, at the Doubletree Hotel, Annapolis, Maryland.

Nominees for Board of Directors

2011-2012 Term

PRESIDENT – Gordon Mikkelson, Montgomery County

Gordon is completing the 2009-2010 term as Maryland President. He served as District Delegate to the Mid-Atlantic Section for 2007-2008. Gordon was also USTA Maryland President from 2003-2004, and served on the Maryland Board as Secretary and Treasurer from 1999-2004. He was Mid-Atlantic Section President from 2005-2006. He was Vice President of the Montgomery County Tennis Association from 1996-2003. Gordon is an active USTA leagues player and has been a tournament director. He was chair of the Mid-Atlantic Section Adult/Senior Competition Committee, chair of the Mid-Atlantic Section Community Tennis Association Committee, and was the Boys 12s and 14s National Ranking Chair.

1st VICE PRESIDENT – Marc Kantrowitz, City of Baltimore

Marc is completing the 2009-2010 term as 1st VP. Marc also served on the Maryland District Board from 2001-2006 as First Vice President and as Delegate to Mid-Atlantic. Marc is the Managing Director of PHS, Ltd., and directs the planning, development, promotion and marketing of the annual Pam Shriver Charity Tennis Classic. His 20-year career is in managing, marketing, and promoting professional tennis events and activities in Baltimore, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, which includes the Senior Men’s Tennis and Virginia Slims Legends tour events and the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

2nd VICE PRESIDENT – Jerome Countee, Prince George’s County

Jerome is completing the 2009-2010 term as 2nd VP for Maryland. He also served on the Board from 2007-2008 as 1st VP. Jerome is a former collegiate basketball player and coach, a lifelong tennis enthusiast, and an avid recreational tennis player. Jerome has volunteered his time managing National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) programs and organizing tennis instruction for youngsters in his community. He has a long standing affiliation with the Prince George’s Tennis & Education Foundation, and has assisted in grant research, writing and fundraising on their behalf. Jerome's son Kasey is a nationally ranked junior tennis player.

TREASRUER – Richard Kent, Howard County

Rich is completing the 2009-2010 term as USTA Maryland Treasurer. He is an avid tennis player, a USTA League 4.5 captain and been on three leagues teams that have advanced to National championships. He is a part-time PTR teaching professional (he donates his tennis teaching earnings to help under-privileged youth gain access to tennis programs). He also chairs the Tennis Committee at Sea Colony Resort in Delaware.

SECRETARY – Sol Lopez, Montgomery County

Sol has been a Montgomery County Tennis Association Board Member from 1995 through 2009. She has also been Chair of the Tournament Committee, a USTA League Coordinator, Grievance Committee, and a Special Olympics instructor (2007-2009). She also chairs the Mid-Atlantic Section Volunteer Committee, following a 2-year term as a committee member. She is also a member of the Association of Maryland Tennis Officials, a USPTR member, and has played in USTA leagues and tournaments for more than 30 years.

DELEGATE TO MID-ATLANTIC SECTION – Carol Wood, Montgomery County

Carol is completing the 2009-2010 term as Delegate to the Section. She served on the USTA Maryland Nominating Committee in 2002 and 2006. She was chair of the MAS Adult/Senior Competition Committee from 2004-2008, Section 2nd Vice President from 1999-2000, a Section Long-Range Planning Committee member from 1998-1999 and a member of the Section’s Nominating Committee. Carol helped develop the Pauline Betz Addie Cup intersectional competition. Since 2007, she has served as Vice-Chair of the USTA Senior International Committee. Carol has received numerous USTA and Section awards, and was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.

AT-LARGE DIRECTOR -- Adrienne Francis, Prince George's County

Adrienne is an independent consultant, sharing the business and program development expertise from her successful corporate sales and marketing career with her clients. Understanding sports, play and physical activity are vital components for a child's physical, emotional and social development, one of Adrienne's personal goals is to promote physical fitness for all children by combining her love of fitness with volunteer activities within the community. She has been a tennis enthusiast most of her life and enjoys playing recreational tennis regularly. Her seven-year-old son takes tennis lessons offered through the Active Aces Super Senior Tennis Club and Adrienne assisted with the club's recent participation in The President's Challenge and fundraising efforts. Adrienne continues to pursue her love for community involvement by recently joining the Troy Park Tennis & Sports Center fundraising committee.

AT-LARGE DIRECTOR – Marjorie Goldman, Montgomery County

Marjorie is a nonprofit fundraising consultant specializing in grant writing, special events and board development for over twenty years. She has worked with a variety of organizations throughout the Washington, DC area on a variety of long-term and short-term projects, including Housing Unlimited, Inc, The Arc of Montgomery County, the Lupus Foundation of Greater Washington and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Prince George's County. Marjorie is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Montgomery and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Among her civic/volunteer activities is board membership at the Inverness Forest Recreation Association, Chair of the Community Service Committee at Sidwell Friends School and Election Precinct co-chair. She has played tennis since middle school and returned to the game as a USTA League player and captain after having three children.

AT-LARGE DIRECTOR – Keith Puryear, Baltimore County

Keith is completing his first term as an At large director. He is the Women’s Head Coach at the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to his position at the Academy, Keith was the very successful head men’s and women’s coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore County where the men’s team won five conference championships and the women’s team six. Puryear was named the USPTA Mid-Atlantic section College Coach of the year in 2007 and has been chosen conference coach of the year 10 times, in three different conferences. Coach Puryear is a certified USPTA and USPTR professional. Puryear was a ranked player in both Maryland and Mid-Atlantic.