USTA Names Marisa Grimes as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
December 3, 2020
WHITE PLAINS, NY., December 03, 2020 – The USTA announced the appointment of Marisa Grimes as the company’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Grimes, who will begin her new role in January 2021, will report to USTA CEO and Executive Director, Michael Dowse.
Diversity and Inclusion is a business imperative at the USTA and Grimes will be tasked to work with the USTA leadership team to develop and implement a culture shift throughout all levels of the Association throughout the country. One of her highest priorities will be to ensure the USTA fulfills its mission of growing the game and bringing new generations of diverse players and providers to the sport.
“The USTA has historically honored our sport’s trailblazers and cultural icons, such as Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, and Arthur Ashe,” said Dowse. “And we have always believed in ensuring a level playing field for all. But we understand that our actions have not always matched our beliefs, and we know that as an Association and as a sport, we need to do better — and be better. We believe that Marisa’s energy and leadership will help us bridge that gap and ensure that tennis is the inclusive sport we aspire it to be.”
In her role as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Grimes’ responsibilities also will include creating tangible and measurable diversity and inclusion initiatives for staff and volunteers at both the national and section levels of the USTA. She also will be charged with designing programs that improve cultural awareness and sensitivities and promote inclusive practices in order to transform the business and culture in every facet of the Association and the tennis ecosystem. The goal of all efforts will be to drive diverse tennis participation across the United States.
“My goal is to contribute to the USTA in a meaningful way to help create policy changes and actions that reflect a commitment to doing the right things for the right reasons to address longstanding inequalities in our country and in the sport of tennis,” said Grimes. “It is not going to happen overnight, but we can establish a solid pathway for progress.”
Prior to joining the USTA, Grimes served as Director, Diversity & Inclusion for Mastercard. There, she led all inclusion and diversity efforts across the company’s North American region and global business units. Under her leadership, the company expanded both its internal and external diversity initiatives, impact, and accountability. The University of Maryland graduate has a long history in corporate communications with a number of nationally-known media companies. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Northeast STEM Starter Academy in Mt. Vernon, NY. Grimes resides in Yorktown Heights, NY with her husband and two children.