Tennis Industry names 2016 ‘Champions’
December 13, 2016
New York, NY — Donald Tisdel, a longtime member of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) board of directors, has been named “Person of the Year” for 2016 by Tennis Industry magazine in the publication’s January 2017 issue. Tisdel led off the magazine’s 16th annual “Champions of Tennis Awards,” which honors people, businesses and organizations dedicated to improving the sport and business of tennis.
Tisdel, who recently moved from Lake Oswego, Ore., to Seattle, Wash., has been a USTA board member since 2005, most recently serving as a vice president. But it’s his financial expertise and knowledge that has been so valuable to the tennis industry — Tisdel has been instrumental in supporting major projects such as the renovation and reconstruction at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York (home of the US Open) and the construction of the 100-court USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
“Don Tisdel’s rare combination of business knowledge, passion for tennis, and drive to grow this sport has helped push the envelope for the USTA and the tennis industry,” says Peter Francesconi, the editorial director for Tennis Industry, the world’s largest tennis trade magazine (tennisindustrymag.com). “In many ways, it could be argued that without his financial leadership, the USTA might not have had the courage to tackle the National Tennis Center and National Campus projects, both critical to the growth of this sport and industry.”
Adds USTA President & CEO Katrina Adams, “Don’s knowledge and expertise in the financial area is invaluable. He’s that ‘E.F. Hutton’ person on our board: When he speaks, everyone listens. You know he’s evaluated and surveyed everything before coming out with an opinion.”
“Tennis has been the foundation for me throughout my life and opened doors that wouldn’t have opened otherwise,” says Tisdel, who is retiring from the USTA board at the end of 2016 but will become one of Adams’ presidential appointees. “But I’m just one of a group of people that has brought the USTA to where it is. I’m very proud to be associated with so many good people over so many years.”
In addition to its Person of the Year, Tennis Industry also named winners in 23 other categories for its 2016 Champions of Tennis Awards (visit tennisindustrymag.com for more on these winners):
Tennis Industry has been covering the tennis business and the sport for 45 years. Available in both print and digital editions, TI is the official publication of the Tennis Industry Association, U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, and American Sports Builders Association. Visit tennisindustrymag.com.