Board of Directors
Together, We Preserve the Legacy of our Founder, Dennis Van der Meer
Scott Tharp
Scott Tharp
Scott has made a career of providing opportunities using sports and the many assets of affiliated professional franchises as the hook to empower and enrich the lives of under-resourced children, youth, and adults. He is the President/CEO of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. Snider Hockey achieves its mission to build lives and unite communities by melding recreational and supplemental educational services with a nationally acclaimed life skills curriculum that is delivered to over 3,000 families in urban Philadelphia. Prior to his current position, Scott served as the Executive Director of Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, which is the owner/operator of the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis Center and National Junior Tennis League of Philadelphia providing quality tennis and educational programming to more than 6,000 inner-city children. At the 1997 PTR International Tennis Symposium, Scott was acknowledged as one of eight charter PTR International Master Professionals and is certified by the USPTA as an Elite Professional. He is the past chairman of the PTR Master Professional Committee and has been honored by the PTR as its International Pro of the Year, the PTR Tester of the Year, and twice as the Middle States Pro of the Year. Throughout his professional career, Scott has stayed deeply involved in the sport of tennis. He has served multiple terms on the USTA/MS Board of Directors. Scott has participated in the USA Tennis High Performance coaching program, has served on the Advisory Board for the Professional Tennis Management programs at Queens University and Methodist University and was appointed to the Presidential Task Force on Sports and Higher Education. Scott was inducted into the USTA/Middle States Hall of Fame in October 2015.
Jack Barker
Jack Barker
Jack worked for WABTEC for 32 years and finished his business career as the group controller of their worldwide mass transit operations. He has been a long-time volunteer with Special Olympics, Athletes Without Limits, USTA Southern and USTA of South Carolina. Jack’s unbounded enthusiasm and love for special athletes makes him an integral part of the Special Olympics National Championships presented by PTR each year. Jack is currently sitting on the boards of Special Olympics of SC and the Lowcountry Youth Tennis Association, as well as the PTR Foundation.
Ajay Pant
Ajay Pant
Ajay is the founder of Karundy – his tennis consulting company that guarantees increased profit and revenue per court.
Ajay was the Senior Vice President for Life Time Racquets for seven years. He worked with 130 clubs and managed the largest tennis, pickleball and squash operations in the United States. Ajay is the prior Senior Vice President Operations for the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland. Pant was with Midtown Clubs for almost two decades and also served as their National Tennis Director.
Ajay also served as the Cities Coordinator for Arthur Ashe and Nick Bollettieri Cities programs in multiple cities.
Ajay is one of 16 global teaching pros who have been given the highest teaching designation of “Master Pro” by both the Racquet Sports Professional Association (RSPA) and Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). He has been awarded “Pro of the Year” by both PTR and USPTA and “Tennis Person of the Year” by Tennis Industry Association.
Dr. Jim Loehr
Dr. Jim Loehr
Dr. Jim Loehr is a co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, a world-renowned performance psychologist and author of 17 books including his most recent, Leading with Character. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.
Dr. Loehr’s ground-breaking, science-based energy management training system has achieved world-wide recognition and has been chronicled in leading national publications including the Harvard Business Review, Business Week, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report, Success, Fast Company and Omni. He has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Nightline, The CBS Evening News, The CBS Morning News, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
From his more than 35 years of experience and applied research, Dr. Loehr believes the single most important factor in successful achievement, personal fulfillment and life satisfaction is the strength of one’s character. He strongly contends that character strength can be built in the same way that muscle strength is built through energy investment.
Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine and law enforcement including Fortune 100 executives, FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, and military Special Forces. A sampling of his elite clients from the world of sport include: golfers Mark O’Meara, Justin Rose, and Daniel Berger; tennis players Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; boxer Ray Mancini; hockey players Eric Lindros and Mike Richter; and Olympic gold medal speed skater Dan Jansen.
Dr. Loehr has been inducted into two Hall of Fames, was a pioneer in the application of psychology to human performance, has received numerous sport science and coaching awards and has lectured world-wide on his performance technology. Dr. Loehr is currently applying his insights regarding character to youth.
He possesses a masters and doctorate in psychology and is a full member of the American Psychological Association.
The Human Performance lnstitute’s training is the result of decades of proprietary research and working with elite performers. The lnstitute’s training draws on the sciences of performance psychology, exercise physiology and nutrition to create lifelong behavior change. By training to expand and manage energy levels both personally and professionally, performers ignite their full potential in high stress arenas.
Curtis Holland
Curtis Holland
Professional Tennis Registry Coach Developer/Clinician
- PTR Certified Professional in Adult Development since 1989
- 2004 PTR Member of the Year for the State of Tennessee
- 2004 PTR Assistant Tennis Pro of the Year Tennessee
- PTR Certified Professional in 10 and Under Development since 2012
- PTR Certified Professional in 11-17 Development since 2013
- PTR Certified Professional in Performance Development since 2014
- Curtis Holland, of Springfield, Tennessee, has been named the 2013 PTR Jim Verdieck High School Coach of the Year
The City of Springfield in 2012 named the newly renovated courts at Garner Street Park – The Curtis Holland Tennis Complex. A PTR Clinician and Tester, and Lifetime Member of the American Tennis Association, Holland has been involved in tennis for 48 years as a player, teaching pro and coach.
Luciano Botti
Luciano Botti
Luciano is a PTR International Master Professional and was inducted into the PTR Hall of Fame in 2018. He served on the PTR Board of Directors for over 20 years and has served on the Foundation Board for over 10 years, previously as the Vice Chairman. Luciano is the PTR Europe Provider, ensuring the continued growth and success of our organization in Europe by forming alliances with national federations, particularly Italy, Germany and Austria. Luciano was especially instrumental in facilitating the partnership between PTR and FIT (Federazione Italiana Tennis). As part of this partnership, FIT and PTR started to organize the International Tennis Symposium that takes place in Rome at the beginning of the ATP Master 1000 Italian Open. In addition, Luciano is President of Tennis Services, a company that specializes in managing tennis facilities and events. Fluent in five languages, Luciano has been a contributing editor of Tennis Italiano, Tennis and other magazines. Luciano became the official PTR provider in Italy, Germany and Austria in 1985. Under Luciano’s leadership, PTR grew from the original 5 Italian members to 1,400 members today.
Roy Barth
Roy Barth
- Grew up in San Diego, CA
- Married to Colleen McAndrews. We have two sons, Jonathan and Sandon, and five grandchildren.
- Played four years at UCLA and then on the Professional Tour for seven years. Moved to Charleston in 1976 as Director of Tennis-Kiawah Island.
- Retired after forty-two years. Currently Director of Tennis, Emeritus.
- Volunteer highlights over thirty-five years with USTA-SC, -Southern, and National include the following:
- President of USTA-SC
- Chairman of the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation
- Member of the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation
- Chairman of the USTA Davis Cup Committee
- Member of the USTA- Jr. Player Development, -Local Jr. Competition, -Collegiate committees, and currently on USTA -Sportsmanship committee.
- Professional Tennis Registry
- Member for thirty-four years
- Treasurer for five years
- President for three years
Lucy Garvin
Lucy Garvin
Lucy Garvin served on the PTR Board of Directors from 2017 – 2020. Lucy is a Past President of the USTA, of USTA Southern and USTA South Carolina. Lucy had many accomplishments as USTA President 2009-10. Still, one that stands out was her establishment of the Strategic Vision Committee to develop a long-range plan for the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including plans for a roof for Arthur Ashe Stadium, which is now a reality. Lucy served two terms on the ITF Board of Directors. In her second run for office, she became the first female ever to finish at the top of the balloting. For her distinguished service, Lucy was unanimously elected as an ITF Honorary Life Counselor. Lucy continues to serve tennis as a member of the South Carolina Board of Directors as well as the Southern Board and Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation. As a USTA Past President, she serves on the USTA Governance Committee and the International Committee. She is on the International Clubs Board of Directors and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Awards Committee.
Kristen Campbell
Kristen Campbell
Originally from Michigan, Kristen spent most of high school training under the tutelage of Dennis and Pat at the Van der Meer tennis academy. She went on to play Big 10 college tennis before eventually graduating from Michigan State University College of Law. Kristen maintains a full time law practice while trying to keep up with her young son in the Pacific Northwest. Kristen is grateful for the many lessons learned and friends acquired through the sport of tennis and is proud to give back through assisting the Foundation.
Pat Van der Meer
Pat Van der Meer
A graduate of American University in DC with a BA in education, Pat is an experienced tennis coach at all levels. Pat has traveled the world with her husband, Dennis, teaching coaches the method Dennis developed with Billie Jean King and others. They have coached players to the finals of Grand Slam Junior and Professional Events. One of the first WTA certified coaches, Pat has been a USTA Area Training Center Head Coach, and was named South Carolina Pro of the Year in 1991. In 1993 Pat earned PTR’s Coach Jim Verdieck Award for top coaches, and received the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Tennis and Education Merit Award in 2002. She has great enthusiasm for upholding Dennis’ tradition of excellence, and understands the importance of positive energy in tennis and life.
Jean Mills
Jean Mills
Jean Mills is the Director of Tennis for the Polo Club in Boca Raton. Jean is a Charter Member of PTR from 1976. She is a PTR Intl. Master Professional and was awarded the PTR Professional of the Year in 2002. Jean served on the PTR Board of Directors from 2000 – 2017 and served as President of the Board from 2009-2010. She has hosted numerous PTR and PPR Certification Workshops at the Polo Club. Jean was honored with the Yellow Tennis Ball Tribute Award for her dedication to the growth of tennis and community outreach in South Florida.
Ron Manilla
Radhika Venkata
Radhika Venkata
Radhikha Venkata’s career in tennis included winning India’s national championships, playing in the Junior US Open, US Clay Courts, US Grass Courts Championships and on a full tennis scholarship at the University of Texas, with an ITF ranking as high as 17.
Radhikha was singularly fortunate to have had Dennis Van Der Meer as her mentor extraordinaire since she was 14 years old. In many ways, Dennis molded her playing and coaching career with his amazing generosity and knowledge. Radhikha was a Head Professional at VDM Tennis Center for more than six years, served as an International Tester for the PTR, and continues to use his guiding principles in her everyday life.
Post tennis, Radhikha enjoyed a successful multi-year career in Marketing, Project and Product Management in Technology companies in Texas and California until the birth of her twin daughters. She revels in the outdoors, and in meeting hiking challenges like Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu and soon the Everest Base Camp.