STEVE DUFFEL, NMTA President

• Played tennis for the University of Arkansas from 1965 to 1967.

• Achieved #1 ranking in both Arkansas and in the Southern Section in senior doubles numerous times; won several Southern Senior Championships in both men's and mixed doubles.

• Playing captain on the Southern section team at the USTA National Intersectional Championships winning the National title 15 out of 17 years.

• Member of the USTA Super Senior Nationals 9.0 National Championship team 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012.

• Active volunteer since 1977 for USTA Arkansas, USTA Southern and USTA National as a tournament director, as a member of and chair of numerous committees and has held several leadership positions including President of USTA Arkansas 1981-1982, President of USTA Southern 1986-1987 and member of the USTA Executive Committee 1988-1989.

• Chaired the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation, served on numerous Foundation boards as a trustee and advisor and (after his selection as a 2009 inductee) chaired the Hall of Fame Selection Committee for 6 years.

• Received the Victor Sheshunoff Educational Merit Award and President’s Award in Arkansas and the USTA Southern President’s Award and Jacobs Bowl.

• Inducted into the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

Chris Bussert

• Played college tennis at Kalamazoo College 1975-78.

• NCAA Division III All American 1976-78.

• NCAA Division III National Singles and Doubles Champion 1978.

• Former ATP Ranking of 579 in Singles and 660 in Doubles.

• Winner of 2 gold balls with son Shaun at USTA National Senior Father Son Indoors (2016) and Grass Courts (2017)

• Multiple USTA National top 10 rankings in singles and doubles since 2015. No. 1 in men’s 65’s doubles in 2021.

• Represented the U.S. multiple times at the Gordon Trophy, a team event between the United States and Canada since 2016. Served as Men’s 65’s Team Captain.

• Represented the USTA Southern Section multiple times at USTA National Intersectional Championships since 2017

• Playing Captain of USTA Georgia Men’s Callen Cup f/k/a Southern Senior Cup Team since 2016.

• Inducted into the Indiana High School Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.

• Recipient of William “Slew” Hester USTA Southern Adult Men’s Player of the Year in 2022.

• Served as Chair of the Adult Competition Committee for USTA Georgia and as a member of its Investment and Finance Committees.

• Senior Counsel Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton Atlanta, Georgia.

TONY DAWSON

• Born in Sydney, Australia Tony was ranked in the top 10 Juniors in his final years as a junior 1967.

• Became a college player for Oklahoma City University from 1970-1973 and the team was consistently ranked in the top 10 Division I schools

• A Former ATP tour player with a ranking in the top 240 in singles and top 50 in doubles.

• Played in the Grand Slam events at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.  While on tour one won numerous satellite doubles events with wins over the Australian, French, German, and British Davis Cup teams. Finalist in the New South Wales Doubles event losing to Newcombe and Anderson. Major singles win’s on tour over Tom Gorman and Nicola Pietrangelo. 

• Director of Tennis Westside Tennis Club in Houston from 1977 -1983. Developed a 56-court tennis facility that at the time was the largest tennis club in the world.

• Founder and Managing Partner of Carefree Hospitality spending the past 35 years as a luxury resort and private club industry developer and manager; managed many prestigious projects in the US, Mexico, Caribbean, and Hawaii.

• USPTA Texas President in 1981

• Began playing Senior tennis in 2006 and have won a combined 12 USTA National singles and doubles titles.

• Texas Senior Player of the Year 2013

• Served on the USTA Texas Senior Council for 2 years

• Ranked number 1 in Men’s 60’s singles and doubles (partners Tom smith, Phil Landauer, Tommy Connell, and Dave Sivertson)

• Represented the United States on 4 Von Cramm Cup Teams which won 3 World Championships golds and one Silver

LARRY EICHENBAUM

• Played tennis for the University of Texas from 1966-1969

• Certified USPTA Elite Professional from 1974 to present

  • USPTA Texas Division Pro of the Year – 1977

  • USPTA Texas Division Special Service Award – 1976 and 1999

  • USPTA Texas Division Tester of the Year - 2008

• Director of Tennis at Westwood Country Club, Austin, TX (1974-1977)

• Director of Tennis/Head Tennis Professional at Walden on Lake Conroe, Montgomery, Texas (1977-2004)

• USTA Certified Official (1985 to Present)

  • USTA Referee for National Women’s Intersectional Team Event (1992-2017).

  • USTA Referee for USTA National Mother & Daughter Doubles Hard Court Championships at Walden on Lake Conroe, Montgomery, TX (1995–2004).

  • USTA Referee for USTA National Men and Women 30 Hard Courts (Cat I) at Westwood Country Club, Austin, TX (2012-2018).

  • USTA Referee for the Bermuda Breeze Tennis Championships – USTA Super Category II (ITF Grade 1) – (2018-2020).

• Executive Director for the USTA Texas Tennis and Education Foundation (2004-2006) and Controller for the USTA Texas Section (2005-2017).

Caerwyn Evans

• Caerwyn is originally from Western Australia where he played as a state-grade elite junior.

• In 2005, Caerwyn began teaching in the Coachella Valley at Indian Wells with the National Junior Tennis and Learning program (NJTL), impacting underprivileged kids.

• Caerwyn guided the Palm Desert High School Girls Tennis Team to a CIF Championship victory in 2009 and from there continued his career at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden growing junior tennis and adult programming.

• In 2013, Caerwyn became the Director of Tennis at Shadow Mountain Resort & Club in Palm Desert CA where he has his own academy and operation business which now operates multiple clubs and offers consulting services for coaches' training and tournament management.

• In 2019 Caerwyn took over the largest amateur ITF and National-level tournament in the country, the Wilson World Tennis Classic, hosting over 700 players from all over the world.

• In 2024, he became tournament director and part owner of the historic George Anich Senior Cup, formally the BNP Paribas Senior Cup. Caerwyn is on the Tennis Rwanda Children's Foundation (TRCF) team which provides not-for-profit tennis programming and coaches education for kids in need in Rwanda. Caerwyn's latest endeavors are to grow the sport of Padel in the Valley and western states as he operates the only public Padel court in the Coachella Valley.

• Caerwyn is also a scratch golfer and hot air balloon pilot which originally brought him to California. 

Steve Hayden

• Retired Technologist and Educator

• National Adult/Senior Competition Committee (2006-2018 & 2022-present)

• Midwest Section BOD Vice President (2018-present)

• Captain for Midwest Section National Men’s Intersections/Donoff Cup team (2008-present)

• National & Sectional Tournament Director (2001-present)

• National Net-Gen Local Play Committee (2019-2022)

• Midwest Section Delegate at Large (2008-2011)

• Midwest Section Adult Comp Committee Chair (2003-2008)
  
  

NOBLE HENDRIX

• Retired general surgeon, farmer, government official, pilot, small business founder and consultant.

• Began playing tennis at 58.

• USTA North Carolina state singles and doubles champion and Southern Section doubles champion.

• NSMTA advocate, event creator and tournament director.

Ed Wagner

• Played college tennis at the University at Buffalo

• Currently USTA Member, National Senior Men's Tennis Association Board Member, Yacht and Tennis Club Committee Chair, ITF Member, USPTR member

• Previous experience includes USTA Southern Technology Committee Chair, Atlanta BB&T on court producer, Tennis Director and Teaching Tennis Professional at various clubs, Coached at Providence College

• Actively demonstrate, promote, and encourage tennis match play, camaraderie among tennis players for both national and international competition. Support the highest standard of sportsmanship among tennis players, including myself. Champion and participant of competitive tennis. I seek to grow the game I love through enabling others both nationally and internationally.

Advisory Committee

JIMMY PARKER (NSMTA President 2018-2020)

• US Junior Davis Cupper, Winner of the James Bishop Award as Outstanding Member of the team.

• All-American at Rice, Two-time Southwest Conference Singles, Doubles, and Team Champion.

• Former Rice University Tennis Coach; Director of Tennis at the Houston Racquet Club for over 30 years and USPTA Master Professional.

• Inductee into Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Rice University Sports Hall of Fame, & St Louis Tennis Hall of Fame.

• Winner of 150 USTA National Championships (Men’s all-time record) and 27 ITF World Championships and has achieved the #1 National ranking in every age group from 35 - 75.

• Has represented the US on 28 teams in the ITF World Championships.

• Former Coach of the Year and 17-time Player of the Year.

• Served as President of USPTA/Texas, USTA/Texas Executive Committee Member and Chair, USTA National Tournament Referee and USTA Junior Development Coach, current USTA Circuit Chair.

• Winner of the Talbert/Trabert Sportsmanship Award, the Sessions Educational Merit Award, and Texas Senior Service Award.

• Charitable volunteer for programs such as Sunshine Kids, PBS fundraisers, Shoestring Tennis, and currently, Board member of First Serve New Mexico..

• Other endeavors include US Air Force pilot, newspaper columnist and Tennis Channel instructor.

• Trivia: Played the first Open tennis match ever held in the US. Lost to Ken Rosewall on Center Court at the inaugural US Open at Forest Hills in 1968 - "The First Loser of the Open Era!"

JERRY THOMAS

• Retired from the insurance industry in 2013 and currently lives in Rockwall, Texas.

• Played tennis for East Texas State University, Commerce Texas.

• Winner of numerous Texas Section Tournaments in both singles and doubles, member of Super Senior National 9.0 Championship team, winner of 17 Gold, Silver and Bronze Balls.

• Won both gold and silver medals in mixed and men's doubles respectively at Super Seniors World Individual Championships.

• Represented the US 5 times at the Gordon Trophy, a Team Event between United States and Canada.

• 2010 USTA Texas Section Senior Spirit Award which honors a player who, in addition to having a high sectional ranking, exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, enthusiasm, conditioning, resourcefulness, and cooperative spirit and is most deserving of the respect and honor of the seniors, either in play or organizational work for the betterment and furtherance of senior activities.

• 2011 Julius Zinn Seniors’ Service Award which honors a senior member of the USTA Texas Section who has made a contribution through his efforts, willingness, cooperation, and participation, and is most deserving of the respect and honor of the seniors, either in play and/or organizational work for the betterment and furtherance of senior activities.

• Current volunteer serving on USTA /Texas Discipline and Grievance Committee; served as member and chairman of USTA/Texas Adult and Senior Competition Committee for 8 years; 2 terms on USTA/Texas Executive Committee; USTA National Adult Competition Committee; Vice-Chair for Category II Events.