FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JUne 13th, 2008
Contact: Steve Tompkins
(617) 288-9092

SPORTSMEN’S TENNIS CLUB WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Board Strengthened By New Additions

Recently, Sportsmen’s Tennis Club announced the appointment of new Executive Director Toni Wiley.

A success in both the private and non–profit sectors, Wiley has worked with a number of well–known organizations including One Family, Inc., where she served as Executive Director, and the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, where she developed a national purchasing consortium.

Wiley is also a recognized community leader having served on the boards of several community groups and committees including the United Way Today’s Girls…Tomorrow’s Leaders and the Dorchester Community Roundtable. She was also recognized by the YMCA Black Achievers, and numerous other organizations.

First joining Sportsmen’s as a consultant in 2006, and eventually serving as a member of the board, Wiley now takes the helm of an organization that has not only played an important role within the City of Boston, but has also held a special place in her heart.

"It means a lot to me to be working in this capacity for Sportsmen’s," said Wiley. "It is a great institution that has served – and continues to serve – the community in so many ways. It’s also exciting to be able to have a direct impact within the community that I grew up in."

"My focus now is on leveraging all of the resources that Sportsmen’s has to offer," continued Wiley. "We would like Sportsmen’s to become a buzzing center of activity for the young people in the City of Boston, because the need for organizations like ours is so great."

Working in concert with a board that features a number of new members from across a wide spectrum of industries and professions, Wiley and Board Chairman Steve Tompkins have already begun setting the wheels into motion that will enable Sportsmen’s to realize it’s enhanced mission.

"When you combine the collective talents of Toni Wiley with those of our entire board, you have an organization that can truly fulfill our mission of building character in urban youth by providing athletic and cultural enrichment through quality affordable tennis instruction and competition," Tompkins said.

"The energy and enthusiasm brought forth by this new leadership team will create countless opportunities for our kids and push Sportsmen’s to reclaim its leadership position in community tennis."

As a child coming of age in the Boston area, board member Stephen Howard, Senior Director of Community Affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, knows firsthand of the dearth of available resources on the scale offered by Sportsmen’s.

"Having grown up in the Metro Boston area, I recognize the importance of having a community organization that inspires our youth to be the best possible citizens, students, and athletes that they can be. I see Sportsmen’s Tennis Club as a strong pillar of our community and I’ve joined the board with the intention of doing all that I can to ensure its viability for the communities we serve."

Other members of the board include: Sandra Lopez Burke, Vice President and Executive Director of City Year Boston; Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea J. Cabral; Bruce Marks, Chief Executive Officer of Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America; Ray Green, President of Raymond C. Green, Inc.; Robert Lewis, Jr., Vice President of Programs for The Boston Foundation; Javier Ramirez, Architect from the Office of Michael Rosenfeld, Inc., Architects; Karen Fried Salfity, Consultant and former Director of Special Projects & Liaison to the GLBT Communities for the City of Boston; Mildred Jones; Senior Business Analyst for Liberty Mutual Group; Darnley Howard, CEO/Financial Advisor for Advansa International; Carole Brennan of the Law Firm of Brown Rudnick; Suzanne Tompkins of WBUR; Frank Williams of the Boston Police Department; and retirees Albert Lewis and Conway Haynes.

Heralding an impressive schedule of events and training opportunities, Wiley points to the return of the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) 50k Women’s Pro Circuit Tournament and Sportsmen’s 2008 Summer Camp as the kind of high–quality tennis programming people can expect from the Club.

"The USTA is huge for us and the people in this community," said Wiley. "To have the tournament return to Sportsmen’s is really exciting. Last year, there were representatives from over 22 countries participating in the tournament, and being able to present an event to the community that exposes people to so many cultures, customs, and quality tennis is really special."

"This free event," Wiley added, "along with our Summer Camp – which runs from July 7th through August 22nd for kids age five to fifteen – as well as the vast array of programming that we offer will continue Sportsmen’s proud tradition of providing high quality, affordable tennis to the Boston area."

Tickets for the USTA 50k Women’s Pro Circuit Tournament Semi–Finals and Finals are available by calling Sportsmen’s Tennis Club at (617) 288–9092. All other matches are free and open to the public. For more information about the 2008 Summer Camp, log on to www.sportsmenstennisclub.org.