Board of Directors

Dennis Van der Meer - Chairman/President Emeritus

Dennis has taught more people to play and teach tennis than anyone in the history of the game. He has coached several Grand Slam Champions. He was the coach for Billie Jean King and Margaret Court for the Battle of the Sexes with Bobby Riggs. In 1972, the U.S. State Department presented Dennis a citation for Exceptional Coaching Performance in the Middle East. In 1989, he was presented with the Healthy American Fitness Award. He was voted the Tennis Coach of the Decade in the 1994 Tennis Buyers’ Guide Readers’ Poll and in 1997, was named Developmental Coach of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. In 2004, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Greenwich, London, for his contributions to Sport Sciences in tennis education. Dennis is a PTR International Master Professional.

Jean Mills - President

Jean was the USTA/Florida Section President from 1998-2000, and currently serves as President of the Florida Foundation. Since 1985, Jean has been the Director of Tennis and Spa at The Polo Club in Boca Raton, Florida. In 2003, she was inducted into the Alabama and Florida Tennis Halls of Fame. She is a Charter Member of PTR, a PTR Master Professional and National Tester and was named the PTR Professional of the Year in 2002.

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 Lu Botti International, 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 National Tennis Director for Tennis Corporation of America (TCA)/Midtown Clubs. He is a PTR Master Professional, and was named PTR Tester of the Year in 1993, Clinician of the Year in 2000, and Professional of the Year in 2004. Ajay is a USTA Recreation Coaches Workshop Master Trainer, and a member of the National Cardio Tennis and Wilson Speakers Team. Chair for the USTA/Missouri Valley Tennis Association Adult Development Committee, Ajay also serves on USTA National Committees for Schools and Multicultural Participation.

Skip Hartman - Treasurer

A pioneer in the commercial indoor tennis industry, using the air structure in public parks, and an innovator in tennis programs, Skip helped develop the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, the National Junior Tennis League, the USTA Schools Program and USA Tennis 1-2-3. Currently, he operates three indoor tennis clubs in New York City. He is best known as the former President of the New York Junior Tennis League, the largest NJTL Chapter in the country, and as the former Chair and an active member of the USA Tennis NJTL National Committee. A former varsity tennis player at Princeton, Skip earned a law degree at Yale University.

Jorge Andrew - Director-at-Large

Jorge is a PTR Master Professional, and former Venezuelan Davis Cup player and captain, who played on the pro tour for more than 10 years. In 1991, he was named PTR Pro of the Year, and in 2003, PTR Member of the Year for South Carolina. He is the Vice President of USTA South Carolina, and Vice Chairman of the USTA National Junior Team Tennis Committee. He is Chairman of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team, and serves on the Head National Speakers and Advisory Staff. Jorge is the Director of Operations at the Lexington County Tennis Complex in South Carolina.

David Dinkins - Director-at-Large

The 106th Mayor of the City of New York, David has enjoyed a long and productive career in public service. Serving his fifth term as Director at Large of the USTA, he has long been involved with the game of tennis. David is the USTA Board Liaison with the Operations Council, Ambassador at Large and a member of the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation. In addition, he serves on the Board of the New York Junior Tennis League, is a lifetime member of the American Tennis Association and, in 1993, was inducted into the USTA Eastern Section Tennis Hall of Fame. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Althea Gibson Foundation and the Georgia Tennis Foundation. Currently, David is a Professor at Columbia University.

Karl Hale - Director-at-Large

Karl has worked at several clubs that he, along with his team, have turned from parking lots into million dollar investments. Customer Service is at the core of his success. In 2007, Karl was World #1 player over 40, in 2006, he was named PTR Pro of the Year. He is the Rogers Cup Tournament Director and he coached Davis Cup, Fed Cup and JR National teams. Karl is the Head Tennis Professional at Donalda Club in Toronto, Canada.

Pat Van der Meer - Director-at-Large