Board of Directors

Cinta Del Monaco (CDK) is a founding partner at CastleRock Investors Fund.

Prior, CDK was a founding partner of AltB Partners, a fund of fund. From 1989-2007, CDK was a Managing Director at Salomon Brothers and Merrill Lynch.

Andre Benjamin is Vice President of Strategy for HundredX, a business focused on multiplying positive outcomes for businesses, people, and society. In his role, Andre oversees strategy, finance, data acquisition and marketing activities for HundredX. HundredX is a consumer data business changing the way businesses utilize insights about their customers to set strategy, while giving away millions of dollars to charitable causes.

Prior to HundredX, Andre spent 14 years at Goldman Sachs, most recently as the leader of the Equity Research team covering the Information Services and Education industries. Following Goldman Sachs Andre ran M&A strategy for CoStar Group. Prior to joining HundredX, Andre was Senior Vice President of Finance and Strategy at Vydia, an end-to-end technology platform leveraged by independent music labels to run their operations. Andre is Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program and a graduate of Georgetown University and Columbia Business School.

Katrina Adams started playing tennis at age 6 in a Chicago parks program. At 16, she was a two-time Illinois High School Association singles champion. Recruited by Northwestern University, she earned the NCAA doubles title there in 1987 and was twice voted All-American. In 1988 she joined the WTA Tour, retiring in 1999 with 20 career doubles titles. Ms. Adams was a USTA national coach 1999-2002, helping to develop some of the nation's top tennis players. She is currently an analyst for the Tennis Channel and a Co-Host CBS Sports Network.

In 2005, Ms. Adams, a USPTA and PTR certified teaching professional, joined HJTEP and has grown the enrollment to over 1,000 participants and increased the operating budget to $1million+. She served as the Chair and President of the USTA 2015-2018 and as the Vice President of the International Tennis Federation(ITF), 2015-2023.

"Enormously talented, extremely organized and a fantastic leader . . . you can put him in front of a jury anywhere and he'll connect with it," according to the 2008 Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Peter Bicks, the partner-in-charge of the New York office, has extensive trial success nationwide in the areas of mass tort, intellectual property, complex commercial contracts, corporate governance, accountant's liability and bankruptcy.

Versatility is what sets Mr. Bicks apart from the pack. It’s his versatility—his uncanny ability to step in at a moment’s notice, successfully try major cases in numerous areas of the law and tackle cases in any jurisdiction—that makes him a go-to trial lawyer for complex cases.

James ‘Jim’ R. Kelly III is the father of two, Khrys and Rafael, the grandfather of Mecca and Rahana, and the great-grandfather of one, Rahsaan. Jim was born on June 4th, 1946, in Washington, D.C., and is the eldest of four children.

Mr. Kelly attended Dunbar High School and West Virginia State University. He was highly decorated in the U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam.

Mr. Kelly went on to an 18-year banking career, rising to the level of Executive Vice President of the nation’s fifth-largest bank.

In 1985, Jim formed Kellee Communications Group Inc., where he is still the Chairman and CEO. He is also a filmmaker and investor.

Mr. Kelly serves on numerous boards, both corporate and non-profit. Most notably, he served as chairman of the American Public Communications Council for 16 years. In the non-profit sector, he has served on the boards of directors for the American Diabetes Association, the National Urban League, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program.

Jim served over 25 years on the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program and was chairman for 16 years, 2006-2022. He was appointed Chairman Emeritus in 2024.
 

Steve Clark is Co-Founder & Principal Partner at elateus LLC, who are the exclusive provider of PRISM Brain Mapping, the newest most comprehensive neuroscience-based behavior analysis tool in the world. elateus’ mission is to unlock the potential of people and teams, delivering insights that empower individuals and teams to achieve their full potential through a range of neuroscience-based talent management solutions. 

Prior to co-founding elateus, Steve spent 29 years at British Airways working in senior executive customer service and operations roles; retiring in 2017 as Senior Vice President, Customer Service and Operations for the Americas and Asia Pacific based in New York. Steve is a graduate of Auburn University School of Engineering. At HJTEP Steve serves as Chairman of the Compensation and Facilities Committee.

Philippe Douyon, MD is a compassionate and dynamic Board Certified Neurologist who has helped diagnose, treat, and improve the lives of countless patients. His personalized approach, dedication, and commitment to people has helped them overcome significant medical and personal challenges. His devotion to his patients has improved their health, wellness, and quality of life. His personal vision that we empower people by changing their perspectives about their own health and wellness by working with them in a loving and compassionate way has inspired patients and colleagues, allowing him to grow as a leader in the field of Neurology.

Dr. Douyon has spent the last 5 years working as an Epileptologist and General Neurologist with the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group. During that period of time he has been an attending Neurologist at Hackensack University Medical Center, Holy Name Hospital, and Jersey City Medical Center. He was recruited to Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group as an Epilepsy specialist after having had completed his internship at Metropolitan Hospital Center, residency in Neurology at New York University, and his fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at New York Presbyterian-Cornell.

Philippe Douyon, MD has spent the last several years caring for people with neurological disorders. After spending years witnessing how neurological disorders often rob people of their life and personal power, and observing the delicate balancing act between medication side effects and symptom relief, he began to realize that he could do better for the people he serves. Therefore, he decided to create a therapeutic, supportive environment, aimed at using a multimodal approach to improve the lives of people with neurological disorders and promote the health of their brains.

Nanette Francia Cotter is a nonprofit professional with 25+ years experience working for international and domestic humanitarian, social justice and educational organizations such as International House, NYCLU, Food Bank for New York City and Open Society Foundations.

Nanette, along with her husband Doug, are Harlem residents since 2005 and are parents to Aidan, 16 years old, and Sean, 13 years old - both born and raised in Harlem, and loyal members of the HJTEP community of families since 2013.

Eugenia Kovalev is an accomplished volunteer, philanthropist, and athlete committed to charitable work and sports development. A former nationally ranked junior tennis player, Eugenia has leveraged her athletic background and global experience to support various causes, particularly in healthcare and children's well-being.

From 2007 to 2017, Eugenia served on the board of the Kovalev and Friends Foundation for Kids in Montreal, Quebec, where she played a pivotal role in fundraising efforts, including organizing golf tournaments that raised approximately $700K and a fashion show during Montreal Fashion Week, which raised an additional $50K. She also helped establish a collaboration with a medical center in St. Petersburg, Russia, and organized camps for children with heart disease. Her work included recruiting new members and expanding the foundation’s outreach.

Eugenia was an active volunteer with National Hockey League Team Foundations from 1993 to 2012, where she helped raise money, organized food drives, and visited hospitals and schools to support community engagement. Since 1998, she has been involved with Russian Gift of Life, raising funds for pediatric heart surgeries across New York, Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Ottawa while also participating in outreach and publicity efforts.

In her early career, Eugenia worked as a Personal Assistant to the Head of the Cardiac Transplantation Department at the Center for Transplantation Surgery in Moscow, where she translated medical articles and performed clerical tasks. She also served as a Tennis Instructor at the Moscow Medical Academy Tennis Center, teaching children ages 7 and up.

A former junior tennis player at Dynamo Moscow Tennis Club, Eugenia was a member of the Olympic Development Program and held a national ranking. Her extensive athletic and volunteer background matches her academic pursuit as a current student at Columbia University School of General Studies in New York City.

Carolina Velez is a philanthropist, a world traveler by heart having lived in 7 different countries, has worked for over 10 years in the investment banking areas at ING Bank in Colombia and Mexico and risk management in New York at JP Morgan. Her passion is tennis and giving back to sports in the US and in Colombia where she was born.

Michelle Blake Wilson is a highly regarded experiential brand and marketing strategist with a proven track record of success in growing national companies within the retail, luxury, sports, and entertainment sectors.

Michelle has honed her capabilities and intellectual prowess throughout her career in the experiential marketing space. She is known for her tenacity and ability to overcome project obstacles, as well as her skills of synthesizing data to inform creative decisions. Her exceptional communication skills enable her to develop and maintain strong customer relationships.

With over 20 years of experience, she has demonstrated expertise in generating and executing marketing programs, leveraging cross-functional teams, and implementing key sponsorship strategies to enhance brand awareness.

In August 2021, Michelle co-founded Empower Onyx, a New York-based, Black, Women-owned minority business platform aimed at inspiring Black women and girls. The platform showcases the transformative power of sport, promotes self-love, and encourages healthy living, while empowering Black women and girls through inspiring content.

Additionally, Michelle is the managing partner and founder of the b’elle group, a boutique experiential marketing agency. Her agency has successfully developed and executed sponsorship activation programs for over 20 blue-chip brands. She has also managed a wide spectrum of events and marketing strategies for prestigious entities like ViacomCBS/BET Network, Mercedes-Benz Experiential Account Team at Engine Shop, USTA Eastern, Limited Brands-Victoria Secret Stores, Flora Nikrooz, and Bloomingdales.

Michelle's expertise is complemented by a solid educational background, including an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Marketing from Hampton University. She actively contributes to her community, serving on the board of Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program, and is a member of Jack & Jill of America and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Beyond her professional achievements, Michelle finds inspiration in her loving husband, Jason, and her two children, Blake and Parker.

Jeffrey Appel is a 1985 Graduate of The University of Pennsylvania. He has spent his entire career on Wall Street in various capacities and now heads up JDA Funds Management, Inc., a boutique advisory and placement firm. He has been a highly ranked tennis player since childhood. He is the Founder and Captain of Team USA in the Finance Cup, Captain of The Eastern National Open Team that won 6 of 8 National Open Level Championships. He has mentored more than 75 former pro and college tennis players as they transition to the world of Finance.

“Every experience I have ever had is an invitation to grow. What I've learned along the way is that change is a constant and truly a gift. And bottom line, attitude, intention, energy and effort are the keys to sustainable and rewarding success." Valerie Hartman

Ms. Hartman is an iPEC Certified transformational coach, motivational speaker, and so much more. Valerie, Founder and President of Shift Into Fifth, coaches and advises ambitious executives, athletes and individuals regarding business/career and life development, leadership acceleration and energy optimization. Valerie leverages her strong academic and diverse experiential background along with her extensive personal and professional network to accelerate sustainable and rewarding success. Recent clients (entity/individual) include Northwestern Mutual, Goodwin Wright, Twitter, Sugarbush Resort, Pioneer Financial, Harmonie Club, Womenetics, Solitude Mountain Resort, East Lake Foundation, Atlanta Dream, Legends Tour, Members of the LPGA and Dartmouth College. Mentoring, developing and accelerating motivated high potential young women to positions of leadership is a specialty and priority for Ms. Hartman.

Valerie, a native New Yorker, practiced law on the global stage for over 20 years. She lead the legal and government affairs team for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in Latin America, was a partner in an innovative cloud-based/virtual law firm and was a corporate associate with one of New York’s prestigious firms. She played varsity tennis in college (Dartmouth) and as a ranked junior, represented the US internationally competing on the junior tennis circuit. She’s been at the heartbeat of significant political and philanthropic efforts locally (Atlanta) and across the country. Currently based in New York City, she is the proud Mom to three thriving children (her greatest teachers).

Interesting Facts

Ms. Hartman is a passionate supporter of the arts, education, sports and women’s leadership having served as a board member and advisory board member of the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta for over 10 years as well as the boards of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation and Temple Early Learning Center (founding member). Currently, she is a proud board member of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP) and is helping to develop, implement and teach a whole health curriculum featuring mindfulness and meditation skill building. She is a member of the Friends of East Lake First Tee Advisory Council and East Lake Women’s Alliance, having served for 10 years as a founding member of the Friends of East Lake First Tee Board, and helped form the original friends group that successfully negotiated and won the bid for a WNBA franchise team (The Dream) for Atlanta. She enjoys playing and watching sports-with a particular love for golf, tennis, running (marathons and more) and hiking. She is currently running and guiding alt-abled athletes in various distances as part of Achilles International and acting as a New York Road Runners (NYRR) Ambassador/Mentor for their Run For the Future Program. Ms. Hartman also invests her time and resources to support causes benefiting children’s education and well-being. She co-founded and headed the Metro Atlanta Million Mom March Chapter and was the Georgia State Volunteer Coordinator for Senator Bill Bradley’s Presidential run in 2000.

Mario Scorcia Executive Vice President Operation for Hudson is responsible for the day-to-day operations of 1000 duty-paid and duty-free stores in 89 locations in North America.

Previously Mario served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Hudson Group from 2008 to 2018 and Regional Vice President of Operations from 2004 to 2008 in the Northeast.

From 1987 to 2003, Mario served in several leadership positions with Duty Free International, Inc. including Vice President of Operations for Fenton Hill American; Vice President of Operations In-Flight Sales Shops, Inc.; and Senior Vice President of Operations In-Flight Sales Group, Inc. Overseeing both National and International Operations in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

Philanthropy:

Past President of the Kiwanis Club of LaGuardia Airport, “Serving Children of the World”.

Past President of the North Beach Club of LaGuardia Airport, “Assisting Distressed Employees of LGA”.

Sponsor and Participant in United Services Organization, “Supporting both USO Club at Terminal 5 JFK International Airport and Fleet Week New York City honoring U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps.”.

Community Member, Nassau Shores Civic Association, “Promoting a Sense of Community”.

Proud Sponsor of Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program