Howdy from Lake Conroe, Texas!
Last year, I was honored to receive recognition for 35 years of service from the USPTA. Throughout my career, I’ve primarily worked in the equity member club space, with brief deviations here and there. I've been privileged to be associated with premier clubs such as Houston Country Club, The Briar Club, Austin Country Club, Royal Oaks Country Club (Dallas), and Arizona Country Club. What I cherish most about my profession are the personal connections I’ve made with both members and peers. It fills me with pride that years—even decades—after leaving a position, I continue to maintain regular contact with members and staff at my former clubs. One of the most remarkable connections was with a young man who, at 4 years old, became my first private lesson client. We formed a strong mentor-mentee bond that extended well beyond my tenure at that club. When he got engaged in his 20s, he honored me by asking me to serve as his best man—a request I happily accepted. As a side note, he met his future wife in one of my junior tennis classes, so I guess you could say I had a hand in that too! I firmly believe in the adage, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."