The 2021 Cliff Drysdale Tennis Cliffy Awards

Highlighting standout efforts and performances from the staff at Cliff Drysdale Tennis

Omni La Costa Tennis Court

Club of the Year:

Omni La Costa

As if a record-breaking junior program was not enough, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa has also recorded a strong showing on the travel and pickleball fronts. Spearheaded by Director of Racquets, Bryce Cunningham, the program at Omni La Costa has become a racquet sports leader in the San Diego region.

 

“Omni La Costa’s success would not be possible without the incredibly motivated and committed staff led by Bryce,” said Scott Colebourne, Chief Operations Officer for Cliff Drysdale Tennis. “This location epitomizes what it means to stay committed to the product while also innovating alongside the racquet sports industry.”

Parkland Golf & Country Club Tennis

Club of the Year:

Parkland Golf & Country Club

Armed with reimagined programming, Parkland Golf & Country Club, led by Director of Racquets, Arch Delmarsh, has seen the highest participation to date. The South Florida private club added a host of introductory tennis and pickleball programs to the schedule in 2021, and the results speak for themselves.

 

“Arch’s enthusiasm for growing the game has had a contagious effect at Parkland,” notes Vice President of Operations, Scott McCulloch. “The team has been eager to experiment with new programs and offerings to deliver the ultimate member and player experience, and we could not be prouder of the impact they have made at the club.”

Rob Wright Headshot

Director of the Year:

Robert Wright

Senior Director
Leading one of CDT’s busiest travel destinations (in addition to sizable year-round programming) is no easy feat, but Robert Wright has captained the helm with ease. From leading the company in Tennis 101 and introductory program participation, to launching a formalized pickleball program, to earning the title of Senior Director, Robert’s momentum is not showing any signs of slowing down.

 

“Rob has spent the last year actively seeking out opportunities to grow, hone and elevate the racquet sports program at his facility, and his hard work shows,” shared CDT Chief Operations Officer, Scott Colebourne. “Rob embodies what it means to be a Director at Cliff Drysdale Tennis, and we are lucky to have his leadership on our team.”
Stewart Crerar

Director of the Year:

Stewart Crerar

Senior Director
2021 was a year of growth at CDT, and much of this advancement would not have been possible without CDT Senior Director, Stewart Crerar. Stewart oversaw a handful of new club transitions and was largely responsible for streamlining the onboarding process, facilitating member engagement and representing the CDT brand throughout the country.

 

“Stewart has played an integral role as the first ‘face’ of CDT as we have grown our portfolio this year,” said Vice President of Operations, Scott McCulloch. “From jumping in as interim Director to educating new club leaders and staff members, we are lucky to have Stewart on the CDT Team and at the forefront of our company’s industry advancement.”

Assistant Director of the Year:

Ximena Trujillo

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami
Padel has made a splash at CDT, as well as the greater South Florida region. At the heart of this impact is Ximena Trujillo, who has embraced the challenge of growing a new program (and sport) from scratch at one of CDT’s largest tennis destinations. Despite obvious obstacles, not the least of which was building the program amidst a pandemic, Ximena has leveraged strategic programming, marketing and a genuine passion for her role to make padel one of CDT’s highest-grossing additions to date.
“Ximena has relied on her leadership, creativity, networking and marketing skills to build the Padel program at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami into what it is today,” emphasized Scott Colebourne, Chief Operations Officer at Cliff Drysdale Tennis. “The Padel movement at CDT is just beginning, and we have Ximena to thank for her hard work to get us to this point.”
Ximena Trujillo

Assistant Director of the Year:

Hannah Thompson

Weston Racquet Club
An experienced leader at clubs across the CDT family, Hannah most recently joined Weston Racquet Club in South Florida where she has launched brand-new programs, including a host of Pickleball classes and tournament offerings, on top of a booming tennis season. In addition to success-fully pioneering new growth opportunities for the club, Hannah is consistently lauded as a member favorite for her signature energetic teaching style.
“Hannah became an integral member of our team immediately and took charge of our new programs without hesitation,” said Albert Fernandez, Director of Racquet Sports at Weston Racquet Club. “Hannah’s success speaks to her strong leadership, creativity and innate ability to build lasting connections with our players.”
Hannah Thompson
Isaac Vasquez

Tennis Pro of the Year:

Isaac Vasquez

John Newcombe Country Club
As a former Professional Tennis U (PTU) graduate that began his career with Cliff Drysdale Tennis at John Newcombe Country Club, Isaac Vasquez was no stranger to the New Braunfels, Texas membership club. However, it was his cultivated member relationships (both on and off the court), as well as his independent promotion of the racquet sports program, that made him a pillar of the JNCC pro team. From leading a record-breaking summer camp to growing the club’s junior pro-gram, Isaac has played a prominent role in JNCC’s success.

 

“Isaac is not only excellent on court, but he has a true understanding of what it takes to deliver an outstanding member experience,” said Graham Miller, Director of Racquets at John Newcombe Country Club. “We are lucky to have his positive energy and passion for building the sport at JNCC.”
Daniel Mergener

Tennis Pro of the Year:

Daniel Mergener

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
Daniel began his Cliff Drysdale Tennis career as a graduate of the Professional Tennis U (PTU) program at Omni Amelia Island Resort. After a successful stint working with juniors, adults and tennis camps, Daniel moved to Omni La Costa Resort in Southern California where he has become a key figure in the club’s peak operations, from leading junior instruction to participating in CDT’s signature events and custom camp experiences.

 

“Daniel’s eagerness to learn and grow his career have been driving factors in his success at La Costa,” shared Bryce Cunningham, Director of Racquets at Omni La Costa. “Our busy programming and event schedule is not easy, but Daniel has met the challenge head-on and is incredibly reliable. I can always count on Daniel and that’s made a huge difference for us here at La Costa.”

Ambassador of the Year:

Rob Menzies

Stratton Mountain Resort
An incredibly experienced and well-known Director in the Cliff Drysdale Tennis family, Rob heads the tennis and pickleball program year-round at Stratton Mountain Resort in Stratton, Vermont. His infectious enthusiasm for the sport, team-oriented leadership and captivating sense of humor have also made Rob a key member at CDT Signature Events, both on and off the court.

 

“Rob brings all the intangibles to our events,” said Joey Hanf, Director of Communications at CDT. “From his work ethic to his personality, Rob embodies what it means to be a member of the CDTeam. Our events would not be the same without him, nor would our company.”
Rob Menzies

Ambassador of the Year:

Luana Stanciu

Omni Amelia Island Resort
Any player with the opportunity to share an on-court experience with Luana will leave with a distinct understanding of what CDT is all about. Luana has served stints in 2021 at Omni Amelia Island Resort as well as Saltaire Yacht Club in New York with equally emphatic praise for her charismatic energy, excitement for the sport and passion for her role.

 

“Luana is notorious for her positive attitude and fantastic energy on court,” shared Katie Steck, Director of Experiences at Cliff Drysdale Tennis. “She is a face of CDT that has kept guests and members coming back since she started with us, and we are lucky to have her as a true ambassador of our brand!”
Luana Stanciu
Stacy Innocenti

Support Staff of the Year:

Stacy Innocenti

Cliff Drysdale Tennis Headquarters
Internally known as the “Creativity Queen” of CDT, Stacy plays a vital role in the marketing and design efforts at every layer of the company, from club-level collateral to corporate branding and business development initiatives. In addition to her innate creativity, it is her seamless ability to navigate marketing needs with accuracy and positivity that have made her a pivotal CDT team member.

 

“As our company has grown, Stacy’s workload inevitably increased but this never slowed her down,” said Kimberly Runyan, Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “She is a valuable contributor to our company, both as a graphic designer, but more importantly as a positive and reliable asset that we would be lost without!”
Luisa Ortiz

Luisa Ortiz

Weston Racquet Club
Luisa has served Weston Racquet Club in numerous capacities over the years, and was most recently promoted to the club’s Pro Shop and Membership Manager. From overseeing incredible program growth to managing a sizable Front Desk Team, Luisa has been instrumental to the club’s operations and member engagement within the last year.

 

“Luisa has a deep understanding of our club and always brings a genuine desire to help our facility and its members succeed in the highest capacity,” said Albert Fernandez, Director of Racquet Sports at Weston Racquet Club. “Our growth over the past year would not have been possible without Luisa to keep us running smoothly and efficiently!”

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