We invite you to become or nominate a Board Member of the Tennis Alliance, the county’s dynamic non-for-profit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to promote tennis as a “sport for life” for people of all ages and abilities and to provide a year-round home for tennis in Anne Arundel County. We seek candidates with leadership qualities—community leaders in tennis, education, business and finance--who want to share their talents and expertise to strengthen the Tennis Alliance for a 2-year term beginning January 1, 2018. Our volunteer board of directors is composed of individuals who believe in and will actively support our mission. For more information on the Tennis Alliance of Anne Arundel County visit www.TennisAllianceAAC.org. To view our Tennis Alliance Board Nomination Application and Recruitment materials, click the link below. If you have any questions or would like to submit a nomination, please e-mail the Tennis Alliance at ExecutiveDirector@TennisAllianceAAC.org and include a brief bio or resume. 

BOD Application and Recruitment Materials click here.

Heather East has been selected as the new Executive Director of the Tennis Alliance of Anne Arundel County beginning July 17, 2017. A search committee, comprised of Board members of Tennis Alliance conducted an extensive regional search for the contractual position. Professionally, Heather has over twenty years of non-profit executive leadership experience holding senior executive positions at member-based trade associations, charitable organizations and universities. Heather is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University (B.S., Economics, Business Minor) and Boston University (M.L.A.). Heather currently serves as Vice President on the Board of the Friends of Quiet Waters Park. In 2006, Heather spearheaded the “Save the Rink” campaign raising awareness and funding for the replacement of the recreational outdoor ice rink at Quiet Waters Park (total cost $2 million) and advocating for the rink with Anne Arundel County Council members and officials. For her Quiet Waters Park Ice Rink work, Heather was awarded the 2008 Executive Citation Honor by the Anne Arundel County Executive and the 2009 Ron Blake Outstanding Volunteer Award by Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks.. In her role as Executive Director of the Tennis Alliance, Heather will focus on overseeing fundraising efforts and supporting the Millersville Park Capital Campaign, developing programming and community outreach activities, developing and implementing organizational policies and procedures, overseeing communications and marketing efforts and supporting the Board of Directors, and managing staff and volunteers.

To view Heather's full BIO please click here.

Meet Gavin Reagle, Founder and Tennis Alliance Program Manager, Rackets for Recreation. Gavin is a high school student and tennis player at Broadneck High School. Gavin developed the program to support the Tennis Alliance’s efforts to facilitate greater participation in the sport of tennis by collecting and distributing gently used tennis rackets to kids and high school students, ages 5-18, in Anne Arundel County. According to Gavin, "Everyone faces challenges in their lives, and last year while participating in our high school tennis try-outs, I witnessed a challenge that faces many people and families in our country- poverty. Most students at my high school come from predominately middle to upper-middle class families so I was very surprised to find a player on my high school tennis team come to try-outs unable to afford a tennis racket. I recognized there were probably other players in our county in a similar position. That led me to start a program that collects gently used tennis rackets and distribute them to potential players who might not otherwise be able to afford them. I made this idea a reality on May 9th, 2017. Working in conjunction with the Tennis Alliance of Anne Arundel County, I created the “Rackets for Recreation Program.” High school coaches in our county will soon be able to send in a request to obtain a racket for a player that cannot afford one on their own. It is my small part to help make a difference."

Special Olympics Maryland announced in July that our Anne Arundel County Tennis Team player Michael Heup will be representing Maryland at the 2018 USA Games in Seattle, WA. Michael, of Davidsonville, and his Mom Roxanne attended our 24 Hours of Tennis Fundraiser and were thrilled to learn that we wanted to share the news and feature him in our newsletter. Michael has participated in the Tennis Alliance clinics for the Special Olympics Anne Arundel Tennis Team since the program began and is quite the athlete--he is also skilled in kayaking, skiing, golfing, running and basketball--to name a few. He is also quite famous as a Special Olympian leader representative speaking at conferences throughout the world. Recently he served as an Athlete Ambassador for the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics Winter Games. The Tennis Alliance is thrilled to be able to coach and prepare Michael for the olympics next year. Go Michael! Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Maryland.

We are happy to report with over 200 attendees over our 3-day event the fundraiser was a great success! Despite a rainy Friday evening Kickoff event, 24 Hour players, sponsors, County public officials and special guests came together at Annapolis High School to celebrate the 4th annual fundraising event with music, raffle prizes and the CrabTowneCurbs Cuisine food truck. The evening was followed by 2 days of tennis play and the closing ceremony where Louise Gengler Thomas presented the first Tennis Alliance of Anne Arundel County Distinguished Achievement Award to honor Peggy Sange, a former Board member and founder and chair of the 24 Hours of Tennis fundraiser who passed last year. Peggy's daughter Heather Mahland traveled from New England to participate in the event and receive the award. We would like to thank all of the 24 Hour participants, donors, sponsors, photographers, supporters, MC's, Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks for their support of this great event. Please watch the terrific video below for highlights from our 3-day event. A special thank you to David Cromer for putting together the video. Look for full event pictures coming soon on our website and Facebook page.