2023 USA PICKLEBALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
From the CEO
By Mike Nealy
USA PICKLEBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
I hope everyone is having a great summer season thus far . It is my great pleasure to write to you as the new CEO of USA Pickleball . With this being my first letter to our community , I ’ d like to introduce myself and share some thoughts on the journey ahead .
Prior to joining USA Pickleball , I most recently spent eight years as the executive director of the Arizona Sports Foundation , which operates the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl , one of the College Football Playoff bowl games . I also spent over a decade working in the National Hockey League prior to college football , including as president and chief operating officer for the Phoenix Coyotes ( now the Arizona Coyotes ).
From a personal standpoint , I am a Minnesota native who has lived in Arizona with my family for the last 17 years . I consider myself a lifelong sports enthusiast , going all the way back to youth sports . While I have a business and finance background , I have been fortunate to serve as a leader in various parts of the sports industry , which leads me to pickleball today .
My pickleball journey began , like for many of you , after a friend invited me to play one day . As a now avid recreational player , I have marveled at the unrivaled explosion of pickleball and cannot recall any sport that has garnered the same degree of attention and excitement in my lifetime . Given my background and experience , I was truly eager to take on this opportunity during such a pivotal time in the sport ’ s trajectory .
Looking ahead , I am ready to contribute toward the role USA Pickleball is playing within our sport ’ s growth and its path forward . As the National Governing Body , we have a number of organizational priorities that we are diligently working on every day , most notably serving our membership base of more than 75,000 . As we find new ways to support our partners and constituents , I view the relationships we build in our sport as , above all , collaborative . We will ask how we can help facilitate others ’ goals and be a valuable resource to evolve the sport together . This is a fundamental piece of our responsibility . I am excited to join the team serving as good stewards of the sport and working toward our mission of promoting the development and growth of pickleball .
I greatly look forward to meeting many more of you over the coming months as I begin working within USA Pickleball ’ s community .
Mike Nealy USA Pickleball Chief Executive Officer
BOARD CHAIRMAN Robert Quicksilver
BOARD VICE CHAIR Suzanne Guerin
AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS
Philip Bullen Mark Fabbro Bob Franceschelli Ernie Medina Stephanie Russell
USA PICKLEBALL STAFF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mike Nealy
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Justin Maloof
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Dan Ellsworth
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Chuck Menke
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS
Hope Tolley
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP
Nikki Greene
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OFFICIATING
Mark Peifer
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT STANDARDS & FACILITY DEVELOPMENT
Carl Schmits
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS & PRO PLAYER RELATIONS
Donn Paben
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
Lance Cowart
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS
Brady Kellogg
DIRECTOR OF SANCTIONING Karen Parrish
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTENT
Melissa Zhang
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES Jocelyn Walsh
DIRECTOR OF TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS
Baylee Opperman
DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS Ben Hudson 10 TO SUBSCRIBE , CALL 412.914.8294 OR GO TO PICKLEBALLMAGAZINE . COM USAPICKLEBALL . ORG