Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center
InnerCity Tennis is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. It owns
the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center (formerly Nicollet Tennis
Center), which is a for-profit business operating tennis courts,
tennis lessons, a tennis league program and youth tennis camps.
The purpose of the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center is to contribute
any excess cash flow from its operations to InnerCity Tennis,
the charitable organization. Beyond the fact that Reed Sweatt
generates significant additional cash for InnerCity Tennis,
it supplies facilities, office and administrative services and
some staff to help run ICT's operations. This for-profit subsidiary
then makes a major contribution to InnerCity Tennis.
Click here for contact
information.
Staff
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Nancy Akpan
Program Delivery Specialist
| Nancy's involvement with ICT began in 1996 as a young tennis player participating in the ICT winter program. After graduating from North Community High School, she continued to be around the sport of tennis, assisting the Mpls. North girls tennis team for four consecutive years as she went back to school to continue her education. After graduating from Metropolitan State University with a BS degree in Human Services, she joined the ICT organization full time in September of 2007 as a Program Delivery Specialist. She is currently tasked with running ICT programming at partnership sites, which include Fraser Head Start, McKnight Head Start, Learnings for Leadership Charter School, the Golden Eagle Native American Center and Urban Ventures. Nancy serves as an experienced teacher and mentor for many other coaches in the program. |
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Chris Babekuhl
Program Delivery Specialist
| Chris began his involvement with the organization in 2006 as a volunteer in the winter Kidspeed program. He officially joined the ICT team in December of 2007 as one of the three program delivery specialists now working for ICT. He is primarily tasked with running programming at an increasing number of partnership sites, which currently include Fraser Head Start, McKnight Head Start, Learnings for Leadership Charter School, the Golden Eagle Native American Center and Urban Ventures. His energy and enthusiasm are a tremendous asset to the organization. |
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Roger Boyer
ICT Executive Director
| A tennis professional and instructor with 30 years
of experience, Roger served as assistant men’s
coach at Gustavus Adolphus College and as men’s
coach at Mankato State University. As regional tester
and trainer for the United States Professional Tennis
Association, he is also responsible for educating,
evaluating and licensing new and advancing professionals.
Roger served as director for Minneapolis Urban Tennis
prior to its merger in 1998 with ICT. During his
tenure with ICT, the program has grown five fold
while increasing its focus on character development
and personal asset building. |
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Sharon Kurtt
Associate Executive Director
| Sharon joined ICT in late 2008. She is responsible for ICT’s grant writing and fund-raising, administration, and community partner outreach. Sharon has 20 years experience in higher education as a director of student services and as an adjunct faculty member. She has been employed at the Universities of Iowa and Minnesota, The College of St. Scholastica and most recently, The Arts Institute International Minnesota. Sharon holds a MS in Education - Counseling & Career Development from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a PhD Higher Education Adminsitration from the University of Iowa. |
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Dilcia
Pederson
Executive Assistant Director
| Dilcia Pederson, Assistant Director,
began playing tennis in ICT’s summer program,
and continued her ICT experience by teaching in
the summer program. After graduating from high school,
where she was coach of the Junior Varsity team,
and attending River Falls College, Dilcia began
full time employment at ICT in 2000. She is a USPTA
certified tennis professional. |
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Brady Schmidt
Communications Director
Brady Schmidt joined ICT in June of 2006. His primary duties with ICT include print design, mailing and e-news distribution, still photography, video production and website maintenance. He is in charge of implementing the Annual Communications Plan and also leading the Communications effort for ICT's Annual Fundraiser Event. Brady graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2005 with a BA degree in Communication Studies. He also recently completed a Continuing Education Series in Web Design at the Minneapolis Community & Technical College. |
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Paul Vang
Program Delivery Specialist
To accommodate growing program numbers, Paul Vang joined ICT in October of 2006 as a Program Delivery Specialist. He is currently charged with running ICT programming at partnership sites, which include Fraser Head Start, McKnight Head Start, Learnings for Leadership Charter School, the Golden Eagle Native American Center and Urban Ventures. In addition, Paul serves ICT's liaison to the USTA Northern Diversity council and is also working to introduce ICT to the surrounding Hmong communities. Paul has a Bachelors Degree in Social Work, graduating from St. Cloud State University in 2005. |
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Board Members
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Lachlan Reed
ICT
Founder
| A business entrepreneur and founder of several enterprises here and abroad, Lach has a long history of philanthropic involvement. The son of educators in the Middle East and born in Turkey, he is a trustee of the American University in Cairo and International College (Beirut, Lebanon). He also serves on the boards of numerous other Mideast-related nonprofit organizations. In the 1980s and 90s he headed Physicians For Peace, leading volunteer medical missions of doctors and nurses to Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, and Yemen. Earlier in his career, he was a teacher and administrator in private secondary schools before brief service with the Eisenhower administration and his 10 years with Honeywell, Inc. |
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Robert Oberrender
ICT Board Chair
A life long tennis player and former tennis instructor, Bob joined the Inner City Tennis Board in 2006.
Bob works with UnitedHealth Group as its Senior Vice President of Treasury and Balance Sheet Management, and its Treasurer. In this role he is responsible for UnitedHealth Group’s capital markets and investment management functions, treasury services, capital planning, and allocation, real estate services and development, and insurance risk management and employee safety functions. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of OptumHealthBank, UnitedHealth Group’s bank located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Bob received his A.B. in Economics from Hamilton College and graduated from the University of Chicago’s Booth Graduate School of Business’ Executive MBA Program. He remains active with Hamilton College as an Alumni interviewer. In addition, Bob serves on the Board of Advisors of ACCF, a 401-c3 organization which creates and delivers educational, leadership-development programming for faith-based and non-profit organizational leaders across the United States.
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Skip Gage
ICT Board Chair Emeritus, Fundraising Chair
A leading figure in the marketing
industry, Skip left his position as CEO of Carlson
Companies in 1991 to form his own marketing firm.
He now leads Minneapolis-based Gage Marketing Group,
which provides integrated marketing communications,
promotion and direct marketing services to a number
of Fortune 500 firms. In 1998, Gage Marketing Group
sold its rapidly growing marketing fulfillment business
in order to increase its capital base for its agency
businesses.
Aside from his ICT involvement, Skip is a civic
leader in the Twin Cities, serving actively with
numerous other nonprofit organizations as well as
on public company boards. |
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Eric McNulty
ICT Board President
| Eric is founder and president of Industrio Marketing,
a Minneapolis-based marketing and design firm that
provides marketing strategy and creative development
services to a variety of clients in the industrial,
medical, recreational sports, and professional services
industries. Prior to founding Industrio Marketing
in 1998, Eric was instrumental in building a North
and South American sales and distribution network
for British-based Andrews Sykes, a manufacturer
of large industrial pumping equipment. In addition
to his ICT service, Eric serves on the Kingfield
Neighborhood Development Council. He lives in South
Minneapolis with his wife, Nicole. |
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Brad Baumann
RSFTC Board Member
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Peter Benson
ICT Board Member
| Dr. Peter Benson has served as president since
1995 of Minneapolis-based Search Institute, an independent
nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide
leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote
healthy children, youth, and communities. Widely
recognized as a leader in the child development
field, Peter’s research and writings have
led to pioneering breakthroughs in the mobilization
and uniting of communities to raise healthy, successful
and caring children. Educated at Augustana College
and Yale University, Peter received his M.A. and
Ph.D from the University of Denver. In 1991, he
won the American Psychological Association’s
prestigious William James Award. |
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Nick Bollettieri
ICT Board Member
| In 1978 Nick Bollettieri, one of the most celebrated
names in the history of coaching, founded the Nick
Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida,
now a part of the prestigious IMG Academies. He
has coached eight #1 players and has worked with
players such as Agassi, Becker, Courier, Haas, Hingis,
Kournikova, Malisse, Philippoussis, Sampras, Seles,
and the Williams sisters. Nick regularly delivers
motivational speeches and has published a number
of books, videos, and audio CDs. His insight into
the game of tennis is sought after by news organizations
around the world, and Nick is a regular contributor
to magazines and internet sites worldwide. |
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Elaine Carlson
ICT Board Member
| A University of Minnesota graduate,
Elaine has spent the better part of 30 years in
the childhood development arena. In the course of
her earlier residence in California, Colorado and
Minnesota, she has had ongoing relationships with
several youth-related organizations, among them,
the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Red Cross,
Good Samaritan Singers, and American Association
of University Women (AAUW). A program vice president
for two years, she also wrote, produced and directed
marionette/shadow plays with the AAUW marionette
theater for over 30 years. Elaine also volunteers
regularly at Twin Cities suburban grade schools
as both tutor and musical instructor. |
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William Connell
ICT Board Member
| A U.S. Naval Aviator during World War II, Bill
was shot down by the Japanese and interned as a
Prisoner of War for 14 months on the Pacific island
of Chichi Jima. The only survivor of his group of
captured comrades, Bill returned to Japan after
the war in an effort to come to terms with the animosities
bred during hostilities. In 1964 he retired from
the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander and the recipient
of a Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medal. After
a career in insurance, Bill turned his attention
toward educating children about the history of World
War II and mentoring them through golf and tennis.
Since he joined ICT in 1997, he has been an invaluable
part of the program’s Coach/Mentor/Tutor group. |
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Ellen Doll
RSFTC Board Member
Ellen is the founder and President of the Support the Courts Foundation, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization engaged in a city-wide effort to reconstruct and upgrade public tennis facilities in Minneapolis. To date, Support the Courts has raised more than $700,000. In September 2007, Support the Courts completed its first project—the complete reconstruction of six tennis courts in Kenwood Park near Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. The reconstruction of three other banks of tennis courts, which are used by Minneapolis public high schools and the Inner City Tennis Program, is expected to be completed in Spring 2008. Ellen is an avid tennis player, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the USTA Northern Section. |
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Nate Eklund
ICT Board Member
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Steve Grundahl
ICT Treasurer and RSFTC Board Chair
| With an extensive background in equipment leasing, Steve brings his financial analysis experience to InnerCity Tennis and currently serves as Treasurer of the organization. Steve was a Naval Officer and served 3 ½ years on active duty. He began his 25-year career at American National Bank and spent the last 13 years in sales and management with Wells Fargo Equipment Finance. Steve is very active in his church, Mayflower UCC, and serves as a consultant to the Board of Directors of Angelica Cantanti, a children’s choir in Bloomington. He has played tennis at the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center for over 10 years. |
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Colleen Hooley
ICT Board Member
Colleen is both an educator and a businesswoman. She graduated from St. Teresa College in Winona, Minnesota with a BS degree in elementary education and a concentration in science and math. She has worked as a 5th grade teacher at St. Peters Catholic school, as a pharmaceutical representative and was the founder and operator of a children’s clothing store, Two Kids Inc., in Stillwater. Colleen is very dedicated to her family. |
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Dr. Bruce Jackson
ICT Board Member
Dr. Jackson currently serves as the Director for The Center for the Advancement of Leadership at Utah Valley State College—a leading organization in the study of youth and adult leadership development. In addition Dr. Jackson also directs the C. Charles Jackson Foundation, the focus of which is to promote leadership, character, and life-skills development for students of all ages. Dr. Jackson holds three Master’s degree’s (Psychology, Business Administration & Organizational Development) and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems. As a writer, speaker, author, consultant and coach, Dr. Jackson’s core interests are to help individuals seek their capacities while fulfilling meaningful life missions. |
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Geoff Johnson
ICT Board Member
As the Director of Household Marketing, Geoff leads database and email marketing activities for General Mills, Inc. In his ten years at the company, Geoff has held a variety of positions including multiple assignments within the promotion marketing department where he was responsible for consumer promotions for brands including Cheerios, Wheaties and Betty Crocker to name a few. He also led the company's Box Tops for Education school fundraising program and oversaw the rapid expansion of the program with General Mills acquisition of The Pillsbury Company in 2001. Geoff has a B.A. in Advertising from Iowa State University and a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. Geoff and his wife stay busy raising their three young children and live in Minnetrista, MN. |
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Pamela Kearney
ICT Board Member
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Laurie Kozlak
ICT Board Member
| Laurie Kozlak was until recently on The Reed Sweatt Family Tennis
Center staff as a full-time tennis professional.
She was heavily involved with the Junior Programs,
in addition to the Adult Lesson Program and USTA
teams. As a volunteer, she coordinated the Level
III Juniors in the InnerCity Tennis Saturday Program
and has worked summers for EIS, Bear Path Country
Club, and Minikahda Country Club. Laurie also has
high school coaching experience for both boys and
girls. She is a USPTA certified tennis professional,
a licensed R.N., and holds a Master’s degree
in Public Health Administration with an Adolescent
Health concentration. |
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Dr. Richard Lindstrom
ICT Lifetime Board Member
| Richard L. Lindstrom, M.D. is a recognized
leader in corneal, cataract, refractive and laser
surgery. After serving as Professor of Ophthalmology
and holding the Harold G. Scheie Research Chair
at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lindstrom entered
private practice in 1990. He is the Founder and
Managing Partner of Minnesota Eye Consultants and
an attending surgeon at the Phillips Eye Institute
and Minnesota Eye Center for Teaching & Research,
a state of the art ophthalmic research and surgical
skills educations facility. |
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Matt Little
ICT Board Member
| With four decades of experience as a widely respected
community leader and advocate of civil and human
rights, Matt served as a member of the first Minneapolis
Civil Rights Commission and as the longtime president
of the Minneapolis NAACP. He continues to serve
his community as president of the board of directors
of Walker West Music Academy and as board member
of the Twin Cities chapter of the Boys & Girls
Club. Former President of the University of Minnesota
Citizens Advisory Committee, Matt received an Honorary
Doctor of Law Degree from the University in 2002. |
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Joe Nathan
ICT Board Member
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Wendy M. Nelson
ICT Board Member
| Wendy has a substantial record of accomplishment
in tennis, having been named team captain and All
Big Ten at Northwestern University, where she also
served as assistant tennis coach in 1996-97. She
went on to earn world ranking on the Women’s
European Tour before joining the Bollettieri Tennis
Academy, where she had senior management responsibility.
A successful businesswoman with a demonstrated track
record in the venture capital arena, Wendy currently
serves the national restaurant chain, T.G.I. Friday’s,
as a franchise development executive. She earned
her Master of Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg
Graduate School of Management at Northwestern in
1999. |
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Todd Otis
ICT Board Member
Todd Otis was born and raised in St. Paul. After graduating cum laude from Harvard College in 1967, he then joined the Peace Corps and served in Senegal from 1967 to 1969. In 1970, he received an MS degree in journalism from Columbia University. In 1978, Todd was elected to the Minnnesota House of Representatives where he served from 1979 to 1990. He focused on energy education, and chaired the House Economic Development Committee from 1987 to 1990. He served as DFL Party chair from 1990 to 1993 and then did public affairs consulting from 1995 to 2001, focusing on early childhood and environmental issues. He has served on the Board of Directors of a number of Minnesota-based organizations. He started full-time with Ready 4 K in 2001 and currently serves as its President. |
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Lakeesha Ransom
ICT Board Member
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Robert Sloan
Programs Committee Chair
| Robert L. Sloan, Jr. retired from
Veterans Administration Hospital in Minneapolis,
MN where he worked from 1957 through 1998. He has
been married for 47 years to his lovely wife Hazel.
He is the father to 4 daughters, (three biological
and a goddaughter) that he and Hazel raised. He
is the grandfather to three granddaughters and one
grandson. In his spare time Robert loves to cook.
Robert (Bob) has always been involved in numerous
community and church organizations and boards. |
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Tony Stingley
ICT Board Member
Tony is a Multicultural Specialist for the USTA/Northern Section and is responsible for promoting diversity and inclusion in all program provided by the section. He also conducts and/or assists with tennis clinics, seminars and special events to stimulate multicultural participation, and assists in developing fundraising plans, strategies, projects, and grants as required. Tony is a 1975 graduate from Iowa Wesleyan College Mt. Pleasant, IA earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He is also a PTR Professional, USPTA Developmental Coach, 4.5 NTRP rating, USTA and ATA member, St. Paul Urban Tennis Program Board Member, Martin Luther King Tennis Buffs Secretary, USTA Official and Certified Referee, US Open Line Umpire, Umpire Trainer / Evaluator. |
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David L. Weigman
ICT Board Secretary
David is Vice President - Legal for Carlson Real Estate Company and Tonkawa, Inc. He is a 1983 graduate of St. Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1993 from Western New England College, School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts and is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and Minnesota. David is a member of the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Hennepin County Bar Associations as well as Lambda Alpha International, an honorary land economics society. David has been a guest lecturer at Hamline University, School of Law and the University of St. Thomas Center for Business Excellence and is also active in the community having served on local government committees, charitable boards, and volunteering as a youth athletic coach. He was a United Way Loaned Executive in Dane County in 1995; is an avid boater, and enjoys spending time with his family on Lake Minnetonka. |
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Wheelock Whitney
ICT Board Member
| Following a highly successful career
in the investment banking industry, Wheelock turned
his attention to public service, particularly in
the areas of chemical dependency and health promotion.
Co-founder with his late wife, Irene, of the Johnson
Institute, a nationally acclaimed pioneer in the
treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction, he also
served as founder and president of the Minnesota
Council on Health. In recent years, Wheelock has
served as a board member of the Minnesota AIDS Project,
in addition to his service on the boards of several
other prominent local nonprofits. A leader on the
local major league sports scene, he has had ownership
interests in the Minnesota Vikings and the former
Minnesota North Stars. |
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Jann Wilcox
RSFTC Board Member
| Jann is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Marquette Financial Companies (MFC),
of Minneapolis. Her broad duties include leadership
of mergers and acquisitions as well as system-wide
responsibility for accounting, finance, legal, human
resources, technology and administration. Prior
to joining MFC, she served as Chief Operating Officer
for Dataserv Equipment, Inc., a vendor-independent,
information technology company. With a JD degree
from the University of Wisconsin, Jann initially
practiced law and tax consultancy for law firms
in Michigan and Minneapolis. Her community activities
include service as board member and treasurer of
the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis and ongoing
involvement with the Minneapolis United Way. |
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back to
top
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2010 - 2011
Saturday Winter
Program Schedule:
| Month |
Dates
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| September |
25 |
| October |
2, 16, 23 |
| November |
6, 13, 20 |
| December |
4, 11 |
| January |
8, 15, 22, 29 |
| February |
BREAK |
| March |
5, 12, 19, 26 |
| April |
2, 9, 16 |
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