Board of Directors

Dennis Van der Meer • Chairman/President Emeritus Legendary coach and teacher of teachers, Dennis is the founder and president of the Van der Meer TennisUniversity. Known worldwide for his innovative teaching techniques, he has received numerous awards for teaching and coaching, including being named Olympic Developmental Coach of the Year in 1997. He has been inducted into many Halls of Fame, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Greenwich, England. Dennis became one of the first registered coaches of both the ATP and WTA, and has coached hundreds of nationally and internationally ranked professional and junior players throughout his career, including World Champions in Singles and Doubles. In 1973, he was Billie Jean King’s and Margaret Court’s coach for the landmark Battle of the Sexes. A believer in the concept of tennis for everyone, he developed courses and manuals for teaching wheelchair tennis and adaptive techniques. Dennis has always had an uncanny knack for finding the best, most efficient way to help players reach their maximum potential, a trait he has imparted to his staff coaches.

Jorge Andrew • President Jorge is a PTR International Master Professional and former Venezuelan Davis Cup player and captain, who played on the pro tour for more than a decade. In 1991, he was named PTR Professional of the Year, and was PTR Member of the Year for South Carolina in 2003 and 2006. Jorge is in the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. He serves on USTA National, Southern and South Carolina Committees, and is on National Speakers and Advisory Staff for Head. Jorge is the Director of Tennis Operations for the Lexington County Recreation Commission with 51 courts in two large facilities, the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center and the Lexington County Tennis complex in South Carolina.

Luciano Botti • Vice President Luciano is a PTR Master Professional and was named of the 1998 PTR European Pro of the Year and 1996 PTR Pro of the Year. Forming alliances with national federations, Luciano has inspired tremendous growth in Europe, particularly in Italy. Luciano is the President of Tennis Services s.a.s., a company specializing in managing and marketing for tennis facilities and events. Fluent in five languages, Luciano is a contributing editor for Tennis Italiano and other magazines.

Ajay Pant • Secretary Ajay is the General Manager for the Tennis Center at College Park, Maryland. Prior to his current position, Ajay was the National Tennis Director for Tennis Corporation Of America (TCA). Ajay was with TCA for 18 years and served as Head Tennis Professional, Club Manager and General Manager for TCA clubs. Ajay worked with beginner to world ranked players at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and was the Coordinator for the Arthur Ashe/Nick Bollettieri ‘Cities’ Tennis Programs in New York, New Jersey, Kansas and Missouri. He is a PTR International Master Professional, Tester and Clinician. He was named Tester of the Year in 1993, Clinician of the Year in 2000, and Professional of the Year in 2004. Ajay was part a study by PTR and the University of Georgia on expert tennis teachers. Ajay is a USPTA Master Professional, was recognized as a Specialist in Competitive Player Development in 2001, and awarded the USPTA/Missouri Valley Facility Manager of the Year for 2006. Ajay is a USTA Recreation Coaches Workshop Master Trainer, and the recipient of the USTA/Missouri Valley President’s Award for 2007. He is a member of the National Cardio Tennis and Head/Penn Speakers Team. Ajay is also Chair for the USTA National 10 and Under Task Force, and previously served on USTA national committees for Schools, Community Tennis and Multicultural Participation.

Roy Barth • Treasurer Roy has an outstanding tennis background as a player, teaching professional and administrator. He won numerous national titles as a junior out of San Diego, California. As a two time All-American, he reached the doubles semi-finals and finals of the NCAA Championship. He earned a BA in Economics from UCLA. Roy was ranked as high as #8 in Singles and #2 in Doubles in the US, and on the pro tour, reached the Top 50 in the world in Singles. In 1976, he settled in Charleston, South Carolina, as Director of Tennis at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Currently he manages two tennis centers with 24 courts at Kiawah. Kiawah’s tennis operation has been ranked #1 in the Top 50 US Tennis Resorts by Tennis magazine, and #1 in the world seven times by Tennis Resorts online seven times. Roy was a founding member of the ATP, as well as President of the USTA South Carolina and South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation. He has been inducted into the San Diego, South Carolina, and Southern Tennis Halls of Fame. Roy was Chair of the USTA Davis Cup Committee for four years (2009-12), and is the Vice Chair of the Davis Cup on the Davis-Fed Cup-Olympic-Paralympic Committee (2013-14). In 2007, his family was named USTA Family of Year. A PTR International Master Professional, Roy has been a PTR member for more than 25 years, and was named as the Professional of the Year in 1990. Roy is a Premier Member of the Wilson Team Advisory Staff.

Leo Alonso • Director-at-Large Leo has been a member of PTR for 30 years, and has served as the Official Representative for PTR in Argentina since 1995. A PTR International Master Professional, Leo is the coach and manager of Leonardo Mayer and Carlos Berlocq (Top 50 ATP players). He is also is the owner and founder of T.S. Management, a club management company currently responsible for 102 tennis courts and 30 teaching professionals. A presenter at many of the sport’s most prominent conferences and symposia, Leo has been a featured speaker at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, PTR International Tennis Symposium and ITF Regional Coaches Conference. He has conducted more than 200 workshops for tennis teaching professionals in China, England, Italy, Spain, and all Latin American countries. Leo has received several PTR awards, including Professional of the Year, Touring Coach of the Year, Clinician of the Year, Tester of the Year, and Pro of the Year for PTR Argentina.

Karl Hale • Director-at-Large Hale has an accomplished tennis history. He played competitive tennis internationally, participated as a player and coach in Davis Cup for Jamaica and is a former Fed Cup Coach for Canada. In 2007, Karl was World #1 player over 40, in 2006, he was named PTR Pro of the Year. He is the Rogers Cup Toronto Tournament Director which is the largest one week tournament in the world with past champions Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Chris Evert. Karl is also the Head Tennis Professional at Donalda Club in Toronto, Canada. Along with his duties at the Rogers Cup and Donalda Club, Karl founded the Daniel Nestor Charity Event which has raised over $1,000,000 for North York General Hospital and Tennis Canada Go for Gold Fund. He also founded the Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation which has raised over $500,000 for education in his native Jamaica along with building 5 new schools.

Rodney Harmon • Director-at-Large Rodney has been Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Georgia Tech since July 2012. He has more than 25 years in player development. Prior to leading the Yellow Jackets, Rodney had been the Director of Tennis at Deerwood Country Club and Head Men’s Tennis Coach for the University of Miami. He left the Hurricanes to join the USTA High Performance, where he advanced to Director of Men’s Tennis, and coached future pros including Todd Martin, MaliVai Washington and Alex O'Brien. During his tenure at the USTA, Rodney served as the Head Coach of the US Men's Tennis Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He was also Director of Multicultural Development for USTA Community Tennis, and was responsible to develop strategies and implement initiatives to increase diversity in tennis. A former pro player, Rodney became the only African-American man besides Arthur Ashe to reach the quarterfinals at the US Open (1982). As Head Men’s Tennis Coach for the University of Miami, Rodney was named the Big East Men's Tennis Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1997, was named PTR Professional of the Year in 1988, and PTR Coach of the Year in 1994. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, Rodney is in the ITA Hall of Fame.

Pat Van der Meer • Director-at-Large A graduate of American University in Washington DC with a BA in education, Pat is an experienced coach at all levels. Having traveled the world with her husband, Dennis, they have coached players to the finals of Grand Slam Junior and professional events. Pat has been an Area Training Center Head Coach, and was named South Carolina Pro of the Year in 1991. In 1993, Pat earned the PTR's Coach Jim Verdieck Award, and received the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Tennis and Education Merit Award in 2002. She has great enthusiasm for upholding Dennis' tradition of excellence, and understands the importance of positive energy in tennis and life.

Jean Mills • Past President In 1978, Jean was the first Executive Director of PTR, and is a charter member of the organization. She served as President from 2009-11, and was the first female International Master Professional. She was named PTR Professional of the Year in 2002. Currently, she is the Director of Tennis at the Polo Club Boca Raton, a position she has held since 1985. Her life has been devoted to her love of tennis as a player, coach, administrator, and lifetime volunteer. Jean strongly believes it is better ‘to serve than receive’ and has been a 30 year volunteer for the USTA and the Florida Section. Her goal is to make a difference in the lives of others, and she has worked with various organizations to raise substantial monies for worthy causes. She served as the Florida Section President (1998-2000), and in 2003, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in both Alabama and Florida. As a junior, Jean was a highly ranked player and in 1974, was the first Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of Alabama. Jean looks forward to meeting you and sharing her love of tennis.