2025 USA PICKLEBALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
From the CEO by MIKE NEALY
USA PICKLEBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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As we reach the midway point of another phenomenal year for pickleball, I want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to every player, partner, referee, volunteer, and facility that helped make the 2025 Golden Ticket tournaments such a success. From coast to coast— San Diego to Greensboro and everywhere in between— these events have continued to grow the game and introduce new communities to the joy of pickleball.
Golden Ticket tournaments remain the exclusive pathway to the USA Pickleball National Championships, and it’ s your passion, dedication, and love for the game that make them truly extraordinary.
Looking forward, I’ m excited for what’ s ahead. This November, the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships will take place at the Barnes Tennis Center in beautiful San Diego, California. With its rich history in racket sports and exceptional facilities, Barnes is set to provide an unforgettable backdrop for the longest-standing and only national championships in pickleball.
Read more about Barnes Tennis Center in our feature on page 50. Whether you’ re competing for a title or cheering from the sidelines, San Diego will be the ultimate celebration of all things pickleball. Priority registration and spectator tickets will open in August— mark your calendars!
Finally, I’ d like to let you know about some exciting changes on the horizon. I’ m happy to share that adjustments are coming to the USA Pickleball memberships. We value and have listened to our members’ feedback, and we’ re reimagining our membership structure to better serve our community. This upcoming shift will focus on two key goals: lowering the barrier to entry for sanctioned tournament play, and introducing a more accessible, valuepacked membership tier. Details will be announced this fall— stay tuned.
With so much momentum behind us and even more ahead, USA Pickleball is proud to be leading the charge as we shape the future of the sport we all love.
BOARD CHAIRMAN Robert Quicksilver
BOARD VICE CHAIR Suzanne Guerin
AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS
Philip Bullen Mark Fabbro Andrew Feffer
Ernie Medina Stephanie Russell Tori Stevens
USA PICKLEBALL STAFF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mike Nealy
CHIEF COMPETITION OFFICER Justin Maloof
CHIEF MARKETING & STRATEGY OFFICER Jose Moreno
CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER Carl Schmits
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMPETITION Steve Wong
VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & SERVICE
Chris Zukas
VICE PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL EVENTS Luke Underwood
VICE PRESIDENT & CONTROLLER Rose James
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS Christian Portaro
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
Lance Cowart
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
Gail Avisar
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Julie Atherton
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OFFICIATING Tom Tadler
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & PR Jennifer Rogers
DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS & STRATEGIC PROJECTS
Ashley VanOchten
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS Brenda Puga
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Andrea Fogarty
DIRECTOR OF TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS Craig Haas
DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP ACTIVATION Nick Salute
DIRECTOR OF RECREATIONAL AND COLLEGIATE ENGAGEMENT
Hana Papaco
DIRECTOR OF TOURNAMENT AND MEMBER EXPERIENCE
Drew Thomas
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Jon Lampe
CREATIVE LEAD Lisa Curran
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