Notice of Annual Meeting to Equity Members

Please mark your calendars for the Club’s Annual Meeting, which will take place at the Club on Monday, June 20, 2022, beginning with the President’s Reception at 5:30 pm. At this meeting, the results of the election of directors will be announced, and the three new directors will be introduced. Further details will be provided in the June Baseline Newsletter.

—Kevin Harrang, Secretary Treasurer, Central Park Tennis Club Board of Directors

 

Election of Directors - 2022-2025 

 

Below you will find bios for the election of three Directors who will serve for the period of 2022-2025. The Nominating Committee (Chair Laura Laun, Board Liaison Nancy Goldberg, and equity members at large, Leslie Bouton, Anne Glenny, Tim Malone, Walt Paulson and Jonathan Smith) proposes the following candidates:

 

   Anna Duff

Platform

Any club with more than seventy people waiting to join is doing right by its members. I believe that Central Park’s commitment to excellence in tennis programs and facilities, as well as its community spirit have made it a premier tennis club and my home away from home. CP has earned a reputation for excellence because it listens to its members about how it can improve continually, and I’d like to serve on the board to provide clear thinking about the choices our club has in front of it. What are the best ways to use our resources to improve Central Park, without detracting from the things that make it great? I will bring an open mind, ask good questions and help make good decisions for Central Park’s future.

Length of Membership

I joined CP in 2012, and quickly came to love its mix of tennis and social time. It’s easy to find clubs that offer one or the other, but few have both. I wish I had joined earlier, in part for myself but also so my kids could have grown up in the junior program. Our family also belongs to a club for its fitness facilities, which is one area where CP can improve.

Club Activities

Over the past 10 years at CP, I have played on Cups and USTA teams, serving as co-captain several times. These programs have brought me some wonderful friends and life experiences. Now that I am not chasing my kids after school, I am looking forward to enjoying more of the evening and weekend events at the club. Currently I chair the Cups Committee, on which I have served for the past four years. This season, I helped bring back some of the social events that make Cups teams so much fun. Those include a wonderful, and successful, fundraiser/diaper drive for the group Babies of Homelessness. Chairing this committee as we aimed to restart social events has been good experience in balancing views and doing the work that makes CP a club, not just a tennis facility.  I also serve on the Fitness Committee.

Professional Background

I graduated from Princeton University in 1992, after which I worked as a journalist before leaving the workforce to focus on my family. During the pandemic, I finished a UW certificate in content strategy, updating my skills in communications in ways that should prove useful to Central Park.

I have also volunteered a great deal at my children’s schools, serving as VP Finance on the board of the PTA,  running a monthly faculty appreciation event and serving as “team mom” to a series of basketball, swim and water polo teams. These experiences have not only added to the skills I could bring to the CP board, they have also shown me how to help build community

Outside Interests

I like to stay active with fitness, skiing and hiking – and inactive with a lot of books. I also serve on the Civil Service Commission for the City of Clyde Hill, which provides the city with citizen input on personnel decisions and law-enforcement actions.

 

 Lana Hansen

Platform

My husband considers me a professional amateur tennis player. I already devote my free time to tennis, so it is probably a natural extension for me to learn about the inner workings of our beloved club. You can often find me in the lounge sipping a tea or sharing a pitcher of beer.  I just found the physical suggestion box for the first time and have already started coming up with “ideas” from simple things like hand sanitizer by the coffee maker (not just bleach wipes) to larger ideas like raising the initiation fee. I would also like to work with current board members who ran platforms before like simplifying some of our rules and more implementation of technology from how to have recording sessions to beep-booping (technical term) with a membership card to check in for our courts.

Length of Membership

I joined central park about 8 years ago. I was looking for a community and liked the member-owned aspect of the club. I have an old school “single membership” because my life partner doesn’t play.

Club Activities

I am a current captain and love to participate in a lot of the offerings available at the club like Cardio Tennis, lessons, clinics, CUPS, USTA teams, mixed doubles, and women’s doubles. Singles night, women’s night and all of the social tennis my body can handle. I volunteer to run playoff desks for the USTA. I am a competitor in the tournament scene. I love the fundraisers we do and find ways for my family to contribute. I would like to bring back the shop and swap for charity with our donated tennis clothes.

Professional Background

I was an All-American collegiate policy debater at the University of Vermont and it set a foundation for me to see many sides on any given subject.  I grew up in Minnesota and bring my Midwest values with me. I worked in sales, management, and customer service for my adult life. I was a member of the American Gem Society which is based on honesty, ethics, and consumer protection. I was in a sorority in college that was a great look into committees and social life. As a previous Chamber of Commerce member and former Rotarian I will use the “four-way test” to weigh in on the issues brought before the board. “is it the truth?” “Is it fair to all concerned?” “Will it build good will and better friendships?” “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?” I am a thinker, an analyzer, and a speaker.

Outside Interests

My family of two young girls keep me busy. You can often find us poolside in the summer. I love to travel. While I am cooking, I listen to audio-books. I probably eat chocolate every day!

 

 Jake McRoberts

Platform

I’ve had the unique experience of joining Central Park on my parents’ family membership and graduating to a full membership. Through that experience, I have always loved how tennis is the focus at Central Park. I want to continue to bring that focus while keeping an eye on the future for how we can maintain and grow our amazing club. As a board member, I would make sure our club remains the best tennis club in the area while finding ways to expand our offerings. For example, I would support including pickle ball so that it becomes a part of Central Park without giving up any current tennis courts. Additionally, I would like to improve our pipeline to membership, especially for young individuals. My goal as a board member would be to ensure Central Park remains a great place for tennis and social gatherings while stewarding improvements so current and future members will have the best tennis club in the area. The best way I can do that is by listening to our members and being thoughtful in finding solutions for improving our club.

Length of Membership

My wife and I have been club members since September 2014. We were each on our parents’ memberships before getting married and joining the club. Joining was the easiest decision we made as a newly married couple! Fun fact: We met at Phil’s skills and drills so we have Central Park and a member or two to thank!

Club Activities

I got my start at Central Park through hitting with my dad, mom, and younger brother when my parents joined in 2009. I had played a little tennis in high school and didn’t really appreciate how much fun it was until Central Park. I now regularly play with a men’s 4.0 group and have a great community of players that I am really enjoying playing tennis with on a regular basis. I am currently co-captaining a 4.0 men’s team this spring and often play in the Central Park and Central Park/Bellevue Club annual tournaments. I am also serving on the finance committee to help navigate the club through important upcoming financial decisions.

Professional Background

I am a senior data scientist in the tech industry. I started in electrical engineering at Honeywell Aerospace (E.E. BS from UW) and gradually transitioned to systems engineering and then data science in my career so far. I spent over 4 years at Microsoft where my wife and I worked in Berlin, Germany before moving back to Seattle. I’m now working at DocuSign where I am leveraging data science and analytics to measure and improve our products. I’ve spent most of my career working cross functionally and with teams distributed around the world to improve consumer, education, and commercial technology products. I think my analytical approach and track record of solving problems will serve me well as a board member at Central Park.

Outside Activities

My wife and I (and my toddler son!) spend most of our time outside playing in our backyard, bike riding, and going to parks where we enjoy our local community of Kirkland. We know how important it is to have a place like Central Park in our community and we want to do everything we can to make sure it is healthy and growing to support current and future members alike.

 

  James Stanfill

Platform

I have been a member of CPTC for 27 years. Although my wife and I have lived in Edmonds for the last ten years, with the Harbour Pointe Tennis Club only walking distance away, I have remained committed to CPTC because I believe it is the best tennis club in the Northwest—not only with respect to our facilities and professionals, but also the character of our members. I believe that to improve ourselves, we must play with as many players with different skills and techniques as possible, and this has been my approach for the groups that I’ve helped to organize at CPTC. With my strong analytical and problem-solving skills, coupled with financial analysis and leadership experience, I believe I can make a significant contribution as a Board Member of CPTC.

Length of Membership

I have been a member of CPTC for 27 years (1990 to 2004 and 2009 to present; we moved to Singapore in 2004 and temporarily resigned). We initially joined CPTC when our two sons were young and participants in the junior program led then by Ash and Phil.

Club Activities

I have participated in group events, private lessons, USTA teams, social activities, and the CPTC and CPTC/BC tournaments, but have not served on a committee. For the last several years, I have organized the Wednesday morning Men’s Doubles group (3 to 4 courts). Whenever I receive an email from Laurie about a new member or waitlist member, I always reach out and encourage them to join our Wednesday group. Prior to Covid-19, I was also an active member in, and often organized, the “Men’s Saturday morning donut group.” 

Professional Background

I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Washington State University, a master’s degree in computer science from University of Washington, and an MBA from Seattle University. I am a 20+ year Microsoft alumni, having served mostly in Senior Management roles and leading teams world-wide to implement solutions with Microsoft technology for telecom and service provider customers. During my tenure, I lived in Seoul for one year, and Singapore for another three years in order to support our Asia customers.

Outside Interests

While at Microsoft, I was a member of the Electrical Engineering / Computer Science Advisory Board at WSU, and a Trustee for the WSU Foundation. I am currently a Board member and Treasurer for our Condo Owners Association. My wife and I are part owners of a Walla Walla winery (we even hosted a wine event at CPTC), which has entailed starting the Otis Kenyon Wine tasting room in Woodinville, and one on my major contributions has been the monthly profit and loss analysis of our business and making recommendations for improvements.

 

  Joanna Stewart

Platform

My most memorable experiences and closest friends have come from tennis. I want others to get the same out of their CPTC membership. While we tout our sense of community and tennis excellence, I think we need to examine our programming and the new member onboarding experience to ensure we are living up to our expectations. My corporate and nonprofit experience has taught me to listen to diverse viewpoints, study the data and the anecdotes, test and learn, consider alternatives, and build a strong team. I’m motivated and organized. It would be an honor to serve you on the board.

Length of Membership

I joined CPTC in 2018. We previously belonged to the Bellevue Club but switched to CPTC for the focus on tennis and stronger sense of community. I grew up playing at the Jack Kramer Club in Southern California which is also a member-owned tennis-first club.

Club Activities

I currently serve on the tennis committee and as co-captain for the USTA 18+ 5.0 team. Over the course of the year, I play on four USTA teams, a Cups team, and the USTA adult tournament. My kids, Alex (14) and Julia (12), dabble in the junior program. I use the gym semi-regularly and the coffee machine regularly.

Professional Background

I spent 25 years in corporate America, primarily with Starbucks and Amazon. My roles spanned strategy, pricing, product management, analytics, engineering, and sales. I led teams up to 550 people. I left Amazon earlier this year and have picked up volunteer gigs with Sound Discipline and Hopelink. Previously, I served as the strategy committee lead at Social Venture Partners, conducting strategic planning exercises for several local nonprofits. I also served on the boards of KidsQuest and Somerset Rec Club. I have a bachelor’s degree in engineering and an MBA.

Outside Interests

I ran the tennis program at our neighborhood rec club for many years which entailed hiring, scheduling, program design, and communication. I worked as a tennis coach many years ago. Besides tennis, I love soccer, fitness, hiking, skiing, reading, and happy hour.

 

  Tom Werner

Platform

Since joining Central Park, I’ve appreciated its variety of programs, the cheerful willingness of members to find me a place on the court, and the quality of the facilities – an appreciation that has grown considerably as I’ve experienced other clubs in the area. I’m keenly aware that a great club doesn’t just happen, but results from the vision and dedication of the board, staff, and members. I believe my past board experiences in finance and operations could serve the club well and would welcome the opportunity to contribute toward continuing Central Park’s legacy of excellence and camaraderie.

Length of Membership

When Carolyn and I moved from Virginia Beach two years ago, we chose Central Park as the best tennis club for us and limited our search to homes with easy club access. We joined the waitlist in 2019 – before we had signed for a home – and became equity members in May of 2020.

Club Activities

Laurie Uhrich connected me with Monday Men’s Night, Saturday Men’s Doubles, a Mixed Doubles social and Men’s weekday group – all within a week of our move to Redmond! My participation has grown to include socials, gym workouts, lessons, additional groups, some singles, USTA teams, and a “Club Challenge” championship. (Go Fire Ants!). My Apple Watch says I’ve played at CPTC 200+ times in the last year – which attests to my enjoyment of the club (…but does not begin to explain the mediocrity of my backhand). With all that activity, I’m drawn to help shape the future of this club. To that end, I’ve recently been helping the Pickleball Committee determine whether that sport would be a good addition to club offerings.

Professional Background

Before retiring, I spent several decades working for Norfolk Southern Railway in Atlanta and Norfolk where, at various times, I led their IT department, Finance, and Corporate Communications. I served on the Board of several smaller railroad companies, a technology company, and the Foodbank of Southeast Virginia, where I was Vice Chair, Chair of the Operating Committee, and member of the Finance Committee. My education includes a BSE in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Minor in Operations Research from Princeton University and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Outside Interests

We live within 20 miles of our three children and greatly enjoy spending time with them and their friends. I’m often out exploring the incredibly accessible and well-maintained bike trails by our home. Though it’s been curtailed over the last two years, Carolyn and I like to travel. Finally, we enjoy dining and playing games with friends in the area – many of whom we’ve met at the club.