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BUILDING COMMUNITY ONE CHILD AT A TIME

Young people, regardless of socio-economic background, deserve a chance in life. Tenacity taps the resources of the community to provide a winning combination of literacy, life-skills & tennis instruction that enables at-risk youth to succeed.

ABOUT US

Mission & History

VOICES OF TENACITY

Fatumata Kaba
ASEP Alumni
Class of 2007

During my three years at Tenacity, my family, friends, and teachers have seen a huge change in me. My love for reading has expanded and I love tennis with a passion. Tenacity has definitely made a huge impact in my life and I'm glad that I decided to join. It's a place where you don't have to be afraid to love reading or just being yourself...

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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OUR STAFF

MANAGEMENT

NED EAMES, President & Founder CONTACT

Ned is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of Tenacity. Ned was Captain of the San Diego State Men�s Tennis Team in 1982 and 1983 and played professionally on the ATP Satellite Tour for three years from 1983 to 1985. Ned�s business experience includes five years in sales and marketing prior to becoming a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies from 1991 to 1997. He earned his MBA from Boston University. Ned serves as a member of the United States Tennis Association�s National Junior Tennis League Committee (focused on serving urban youth, founded by Arthur Ashe).

SCOTT STANIAR, Vice President of Tennis/Fitness and Summer Programs CONTACT

Scott is responsible for leading all tennis and fitness initiatives for Tenacity's Pathway from elementary to high school, as well as leading the summer tennis program, which serves over 5,300 students at 34 sites throughout greater Boston. Scott brings to Tenacity a strong background in both the tennis industry and the business world to help lead Tenacity's future growth; including over 25 years of senior marketing leadership experience at companies such as PepsiCo, Dr Pepper/Snapple Group, American Express and the United States Tennis Association. A former nationally ranked junior tennis player and All-Ivy Tennis Captain at Yale University, Scott became increasingly involved in the tennis industry 10 years ago; collaborating with the USTA to create a national advertising campaign for tennis, as well as developing a range of USTA grass-roots initiatives to grow tennis participation rates regionally. Scott is a USPTA certified teaching professional.

ROB LAPIDES, Chief Financial Officer (Consultant)

Rob is responsible for the overall business and financial operations of Tenacity. He is responsible for and/or advises on issues related to; strategy formulation, alliances & partnerships, organization development, policy development, financial management, and Board communications. He brings to his role over 20 years of experience in the private sector � having successfully founded, financed, and eventually sold two separate companies in the high tech and management services field. In addition to his work for Tenacity, Rob is active in the investments world, working with several venture capital groups and private investors as a partner/liaison for the placement and management of investments in various early-stage companies. He previously was Managing Director of OmniHolding A.G. in Zurich, Switzerland and CEO of OmniProperty, Inc. in New York City. He also played competitive tennis for several years, having competed in a number of qualifier and satellite tour events. Rob earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees in International Business & Strategic Management from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

GARY PHILLIPS, Manager of Pathway Logistics CONTACT

Gary joined the Tenacity Team in October 2008, bringing extensive experience with out of school time learning programs for inner city youth. Prior to joining Tenacity, Gary was a program coordinator for BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) which provides academic based after school and summer programs to inner city students in Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury. He also spent five years as Principal of St. Anthony�s School in Allston, where he also taught middle school social studies and language arts. Gary has developed programs to address the non academic barriers to student learning, including the creation of a full service model community school. Gary is enjoying a second career in education, after spending over 20 years in the health care industry.

KAREN SOLOMON, Vice President of Advancement CONTACT

As VP of Advancement, Karen oversees Tenacity�s comprehensive fundraising program, working closely with the President and the Board of Trustees. She has had a long and multi-faceted career in development, with senior posts at Community Prep School, The RI Philharmonic and Music School, and The Highlander Charter School. Upon moving to Boston in 2009, Karen served as Campaign Director for The Boston Conservatory, playing a pivotal role in the successful completion of their first capital campaign. Early on in her career Karen held management positions in banking and retail, and when her children were very young, worked part-time in the interior design business. She received her undergraduate degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an MBA from Cornell University.

IAN SCHNEIDERMAN, Vice President of Operations CONTACT

This is Ian�s first position in a non-profit setting. He brings over 20 years of experience as an information technology executive from a number major companies such as Arthur Andersen, The Forum Corporation and Sonus Networks. Ian received a BFA in theater from Carnegie-Mellon University. Outside of his Operations Director position, Ian enjoys playing guitar, collecting stamps and coins and spending time with his two teenage children.

STEPHANIE GENDRON, Director of Alumni Services CONTACT

Stephanie has joined the Tenacity Team as the organization�s Director of Alumni Services. Stephanie has been working with high-risk youth for over a decade, and her experiences include teaching summer school in Newark, NJ, working with voluntary and mandated adolescents at the Harlem Community Justice Center in East Harlem, New York, and leading a cross-sector coalition in Harlem with the mission of reducing substance abuse among local youth. Stephanie graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology and later received her MSW from Columbia University with a concentration in program management and development. She is currently licensed to practice social work in Massachusetts.

PAULA COYLE, Senior Director of AmeriCorps & Recruiting CONTACT

Paula comes to Tenacity with a life-long dedication to young adults and community service. She holds a B.A. from Allegheny College and a M.A. in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University. Paula's professional pursuits have been in student affairs and non-profit administration. Since moving to Boston, she has worked at City Year, the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, and Citizen Schools. In each role, Paula has focused on empowering young people and building community.

LUKE GORMAN, Director of Site Performance CONTACT

Luke graduated from the University of Vermont in 2004 with a B.A. in History. He then spent a year as a volunteer English teacher in the Marshall Islands (located about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand). Luke came back from this experience knowing that he wanted to work in the non-profit world. His first job in this sector was with Chill, Burton Snowboard's non-profit. He then came to Tenacity in 2006. At Tenacity, Luke has been an Academic Coordinator in Dorchester, Summer Partner Program Liaison, Site Coordinator in East Boston, Assistant Director of the After-School Excellence Program, and is now Director of Site Performance for the Middle School Academy.

BRIAN TUTTLE, Director of MSA Curriculum Creation and Implementation CONTACT

Brian Tuttle graduated from the University of Iowa in 2002 with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. He is now in his seventh year at Tenacity, having started as an Academic Liaison for the Harvard and Boston Athletic Club sites. Since then he has worked in various program capacities, most notably as the Harvard Site Leader. In his free time, Brian runs a small theatre company in Boston and works as a freelance playwright. He also remains in pursuit of his MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University. His favorite cool word is Constantinople.

PROFESSIONAL STAFF