News

The USTA announced the election of Katrina M. Adams as USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO and President to serve a second two-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2017. This marks the first time in the association’s 135 year history that an individual will serve a second two-year term as Chairman of the Board, CEO and President.

Adams has served on the USTA Board of Directors for 12 years and will now serve a second consecutive two-year term as Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. Adams was the first African-American and first former professional tennis player to serve as the association’s Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. Previously, she served a two-year term as First Vice President of the USTA (2012-13), one term as Vice President (2011-12) and three consecutive two-year terms as a Director at Large (2005-10).

In the current term, Adams serves on the USTA’s Budget Committee, International Committee, Executive Committee and Compensation Committee. She also serves on the board of directors of the USTA Foundation and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Adams also is a member of the Grand Slam Board and she serves as Vice President of the ITF and is the Chairman of the ITF Fed Committee.

Prior to assuming her current role, Adams was the board liaison to the Professional Tennis Council, the USTA’s 17 sections and the USTA Foundation and USPTA. In addition, she served on the USTA Player Development Committee, the USTA Grievance Committee and the ITF Rules of Tennis Committee, and was a member of the ITF Davis Cup Committee from 2013 to 2015.

Adams played for 12 years on the WTA tour and was ranked as high as No. 67 in singles and No. 8 in doubles. She captured 20 career doubles titles. While a player, Adams served on the board of directors of the WTA as a player representative for four one-year terms and on the WTA’s Players Association for five two-year terms.

A Chicago native, Adams attended Northwestern University as an undergraduate, majoring in communications, and helped the Wildcats to a Big Ten championship in 1986. She was an NCAA All-American in 1986 and 1987, and in 1987 became the first African-American NCAA doubles champion.

Among her many accolades, Adams was honored with the WTA’s Player Service Award in 1989, 1996 and 1997, and she received the WTA Althea Gibson Award in 2003. In addition, she was inducted into the Northwestern Hall of Fame in 1998, the USTA Midwest Section Hall of Fame in 2005, the Chicago District Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008, the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012, the ITA Women’s Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014 and the USTA Eastern Section Tennis Hall of Fame in 2015. Also in 2015, she was named one of the “25 Influential Black Women in Business” by The Network Journal and as one of Sports Business Daily’s “Game Changers.”

In addition to her duties with the USTA, Adams is a contributor on CBS Sports Network’s first all-female sports show, “We Need to Talk.” She also serves as a television analyst for Tennis Channel and as a contributor to Tennis magazine and tennis.com, providing instructional articles and videos. Moreover, since 2005 Adams has served as the Executive Director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, a National Junior Tennis & Learning network (NJTL) chapter based in New York City.

Patrick J. Galbraith of the USTA Pacific Northwest Section will serve as First Vice President of the USTA. Galbraith has 10 years of service on the USTA Board of Directors, including three terms as an Elite Athlete Director at Large, and is currently completing his second two-year term as Secretary-Treasurer. He has served as Chair of the Budget Committee and as Vice Chair of the Investment Committee. A professional tennis player from 1989 until 2000, Galbraith is a two-time winner of the US Open mixed doubles championship. He ended 1993 as part of the No.1-ranked men’s doubles team with partner Grant Connell, and he won the World Doubles Championship in 1995. Galbraith, a member of the 1996 Davis Cup team, finished his career with 36 doubles titles. He is a Certified Financial planner (CFP®) and is currently First Vice President-Wealth Management for UBS Financial Service, Inc.

Joan E. Baker of the USTA Northern Section will serve as Vice President of the USTA; she is currently serving her second consecutive two-year term as Director at Large. Mark D. Ein of the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section will serve as Vice President; he is currently completing his second consecutive term as a Director at Large. Thomas S. Ho of the USTA Texas Section will serve as Secretary-Treasurer of the USTA. Ho, with six years of service on the USTA Board, is currently completing his third term.

Directors-at-Large are: Fabrizio Alcobe-Fierro of the USTA Florida Section, Jeffrey M. Baill of the USTA Northern Section, Laura F. Canfield of the USTA Middle States Section, Dr. Brian Hainline of the USTA Midwest Section, Michael J. McNulty III of the USTA Southern Section, and Andrew A. Valdez of the USTA Intermountain Section.

Elite Athletes on the USTA Board of Directors are: Lauren B. Barnikow of the USTA Northern California Section, Liezel H. Huber of the USTA Texas Section, and Brian Vahaly of the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section.