ALTA 2025 Annual Meeting
MOVING FORWARD
“While ALTA’s primary focus has historically been JUST tennis, most of you are familiar with our venture into pickleball,” Scott told everyone present at the 2025 annual meeting in November. “While we do remain true to our roots, we also recognize the importance of growing our membership and investing in a racquet sport that certainly won’t be going away any time soon. We started this journey back in 2022, with discussion about how to incorporate ALTA in the growth of this game and how to increase membership. We did not want to function in a vacuum though, so we called in other pickleball leaders in the city and even some of our members to iron out expectations and how to approach adding pickleball.”
ALTA has now become the largest local pickleball league in the country with over 10,000 members! “We started with introducing our members to the game with several pickleball socials and gatherings just to foster interest,” Scott said. “Then in 2023, we embarked on our first pickleball league with only one season. We had almost 5,000 members for pickleball during that inaugural season. In 2024, that increased to over 8,200 members. This year, we increased by about 30 percent to over 10,800 members! We have more plans to expand over next year.”
Another step forward involved ALTA’s sponsorship of The Atlanta Cup. While the loss of The Atlanta Open seemed like a step back, The Atlanta Cup brought professional tennis back to our area in December. Featuring Ben Shelton, Nick Kyrgios, Aryna Sabalenka, and Naomi Osaka, the debut of this event proved that Atlanta loves tennis.
SERVING OTHERS
The ALTA Foundation reached deep into the community in 2025, according to outgoing Foundation President Cameron Turner. Over $130,000 was given to deserving programs and individuals.
The ALTA Grant Program awards funds to nonprofits that have tennis and/or pickleball programs that serve at-risk communities, veterans, developmentally disabled and adaptive sports programs. Twenty-one non-profits received grants from the ALTA Foundation in 2025.
The Keith L. Wood Scholarship Program awarded eight scholarships, totaling $24,000, to deserving high schoolers last year. These students not only excel in school but are serving in their community, working jobs, volunteering as mentors or tutors, and participating in tennis and other extracurricular activities.
The START Grant program supports Title 1 schools where access to tennis programs is not always available. “I am excited to report that we are now supporting 21 Title 1 high schools across metro-Atlanta with $42,500 in funding to buy uniforms, racquets, ball machines, nets, and more,” Turner said. “And what is even more exciting is that this is a 162-percent increase of schools over the past four years!”
SPENDING WISELY
ALTA Treasurer Susan Levin let everyone know that the organization is stable and financially sound. “I’m happy to report we are continuing to grow with another two-percent increase in revenue over last October and our pickleball growth continues to lead the way,” Levin said.
As of the end of October, ALTA’s expenses were seven percent higher than at the same time in 2024. However, the added costs were mostly attributed to preplanned purchases, including the new coordinator shirts, according to Levin. “As we look forward to 2026 with great anticipation of what’s to come, our Board of Directors have approved the 2026 budget so we’re all ready to start the new year,” she concluded.
CONNECTING
Connecting with our members, our community, and our future as one of the country’s elite racquet sport organizations was the most important goal ALTA President Rita Maloof set for 2025. In wrapping up her year at the helm, Maloof gave many examples of how she and ALTA made good on the promise of connecting with others.
“In 2025, we connected with 10,303 tennis teams — 197,343 participants across league play. We played 33,474 tennis matches and 4,046 pickleball matches,” she explained. “We recognized eight captains who have served in that role for over 100 seasons. We celebrated over 20 captains who have served at least 75 seasons and over 100 captains who have led their teams for at least 50 seasons.”
LISTENING
David Rowe is the 2026 ALTA President, and he is ready to listen. “As we look ahead, I want to continue that forward motion by strengthening communication between volunteers, captains, and leadership — perhaps even creating a more streamlined way for suggestions and feedback to reach us quickly and directly,” said Rowe. “ALTA members need to know their voices matter and that they are being heard. Listening to those voices builds connection, and connection with our members builds momentum.”
Scott closed the meeting by thanking the many volunteers who have made ALTA what it is. He emphasized how important the relationships are between the volunteers, the members, the families, and the community. “Often when we travel, we wear an ALTA visor or a shirt, and it’s amazing how many people approach us from around the world who have an ALTA connection,” he said. “People often tell us there is nothing like ALTA anywhere else in the country and abroad, and it is true. We ALL have a story … we have something special here, and it is my hope that I have been a good steward of that.”
2025 Award Recipients
Ruby
Chairman of the Board
Lamar Scott
Tsavorite
Executive Committee President
Rita Maloof
Diamond in the Racquet
Executive Committee/Board of Directors, First Year
Diane Royston
Gidget Kettle
Kim Freeman
Nicole Jennings
Rusty Jones
Hall of Fame
25 years of service
Lori Gangwisch
Martha Harvey
Sandy Depa
ALTA Gold Pin
20 years of service
Didi Chapdelaine
G. Erica Allen
Terri Astuto
Honorary Membership
15 years of service
Diane Royston
Karen Sullivan
Kim Freeman
Mike Clance
Bezel Rope for Coin
10 years of service
Angela Selmon
Debbie Adams
Gregory McAfee
Kim Dlugolenski
Rebecca Williams
Diamond in Coin
Five years of service
Angie Baker
Shannon Odam
Gold Coin
Two years of service
Barbara Goldstein
Brenda Garrett
David Huntley
Donald Freeman
George Walter
Jan Hartzfeld
Logan Brown
Maggie Decan
Mark Nations
Maryellen Stockton
Paige Hodges
Rose Prejean-Harris
Sandy Bishop
Sherese Stringfield
Steven Thomas
2026 ALTA Executive Committee
President Davie Rowe
First Vice President Greg McAfee
Secretary Karen Carroll
Treasurer Cameron Turner
Vice President Men’s League Drew Meyer
Vice President Thursday Women’s League Candace Cole
Vice President Sunday Women’s League Diane Royston
Vice President Senior Leagues Mike Clance
Vice President Senior Day Leagues Rusty Jones
Vice President Mixed Doubles League Nicole Jennings
Vice President Junior Leagues Kim Freeman
Vice President Junior Challenge Ladder Gina Woods
Vice President Events and Tournaments Carol Brasher
Vice President of Special Programs Mark LaRotonda
Vice President of Pickleball Henry Vincent
President’s Appointee Keri Beck
2025 President Rita Maloof
2024 President Chequetta Allen
ALTA Foundation Representative Mimi McFall
2026 ALTA Board of Directors
Chair of the Board Linda Shepherd
2024 ALTA President Chequetta Allen
2025 ALTA President Rita Maloof
2026 ALTA President David Rowe
ALTA Foundation President Terry Godbold
2025 Elected Member Karen Sullivan
2026 Elected Member Steven Thomas
Treasurer Cameron Turner
Secretary/First Vice President Greg McAfee
2026 ALTA Foundation Board of Directors
President Terry Godbold
Treasurer Cameron Turner
Secretary Mimi McFall
