The West Vancouver Tennis Club is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board meetings are generally held every second Tuesday of the month. As a member, if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions you would like the Board to address, please make a submission in writing to any one of the Board members listed below. Alternatively, please direct your inquiry through our Manager, Sandy Sutton, at sandy@wvtc.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!
Sabine Ritson
President
With the momentous occasion of our Club’s centenary around the corner in 2025, Sabine’s goals as President are centered on continuing to offer a welcoming, fun, competitive, sustainable and efficiently administered place to enjoy our wonderful sport. She previously served six years on the Board in the role of Communications Director, and as Vice President for a year before taking on the role of President. This experience provided valuable insight into a broad spectrum of the Club’s operations. In addition to acting in a general capacity, her contributions included general consulting to the Manager regarding IT matters, process improvements through system additions and upgrades, website maintenance, membership communications, newsletter editing and production, and participation on the Covid Protocol Committee. Combined with an extensive background in running small businesses and a lengthy career as a business and systems analyst, she feels equipped to keep the Club on its positive trajectory, explore new opportunities and meet challenges in line with our ever-changing times.
Geoff Adair
Vice President / Grounds & Facilities
As a civil engineer out of UBC, Geoff has spent over 40 years in project management and construction related industries. Extensive experience working on projects with engineers and contractors brings with it a level of cooperation and problem solving that is useful to the WVTC.
Over 25 years ago Geoff founded a business in the distribution of commercial HVAC equipment. As a business owner, Geoff brings planning skills and financial responsibility to the Board. As his son takes over the family business, Geoff looks forward to enjoying more time at the WVTC and putting in the much-needed work on his game.
Geoff has lived in West Vancouver for over 50 years and currently lives with his wife Jennifer in Caulfeild. Geoff believes the WVTC is a true gem of his community and has a genuine interest in its enduring success.
Marina Alexander
Past President
Marina’s background includes over 30 years of project and event management and running several, diverse small businesses. She has been a member since the early 1970’s and joined the Board in 2015 as a Social Director. In 2017 she took on the role of Vice President where she continued her support of social events, got involved with the Heritage Club Games, and worked on court usage balancing, manager evaluations, coaching contracts and revising the Club Constitution. Marina became President in September 2019 and remained until September 2022. Over that time her involvement included working closely with Sandy and the Board on the COVID-19 response and eventually navigating to reopening fully. She also spent time renovating the clubhouse and modernizing the Club Bylaws. Marina remains on the Board as Past President and will continue working with fellow Board members to keep our Club a responsibly run, positive, and welcoming place to play tennis.
Jeffrey Sparling
Treasurer
Jeff has served our Club as President/Treasurer, Past President/Treasurer, Vice President/Treasurer and Treasurer. He is a 35-year practicing accountant whose focus is strategic development and has completed strategic planning assignments with many government and international organizations. Jeff’s strategic focal point for our Club is the preservation of our 90-year plus history, the ongoing stewardship of our assets, and our community reputation and longevity. Accomplishments during his tenure include:
- Leading our response to the WVCSS Emerging Vision Report while President/Treasurer. A remarkable success story which cemented important community and political relationships.
- Provide financial/strategic oversight to our club
- Initiated lease discussions with the municipality
- Develop a good working relationship with our auditor
- Develop a vision/plan for Capital Fund growth
- Evaluate COVID financial relief
- Improved management structure of our Coaching Professionals
Donna Allaby
Director, Coaching
Donna has been a member of WVTC since 2010 and has had the privilege of serving on the Board for the past 5 years as the Coaching Director. Donna has been involved in high performance athletics through her many years as a National Field Hockey Player and a Certified Level 3 Coach. She is happy to now spend her time competing in the dry warmth of a bubble, instead of the cold wet and snowy fields!
As the Coaching Director, it is Donna’s responsibility to ensure there is a balance of court usage between members, coaching, junior programs, tournaments and organized social tennis, as well as working with Paul and Karin in the delivery of coaching services. Her prime goal is to retain our reputation as the “Fun Social Club of the North Shore”!
Suzanne Kaufman
Director, Social Events
Born and raised on the North Shore, Suzanne has been a member of the WVTC since 2011. With a 42-year career in the airline industry, she has travelled the world, spending time and living amongst different cultures and meeting many diverse and interesting people.
Having raised two boys in the West Vancouver school district, much of Suzanne’s time was spent managing and coaching different sports teams and organizing various events within the schools. This includes many years orchestrating the Multicultural Lunch at Sentinel Secondary, feeding over 1,200 students in one lunch hour with the help of volunteers!
Suzanne is looking forward to this new experience of being on the Board. She will bring the best way she knows to keep the Club a fun, positive and welcoming tennis experience for all members. Here’s to 2023-2024!
Jodi Pallan
Director, Community Outreach Events
Jodi has been a member of the WVTC for almost 8 years. About 9 years ago, she took tennis lessons on a whim via the West Vancouver Community Center and was lucky enough to have Coach Kinuko as her instructor. Those lessons and time spent with Coach Kinuko sparked her love and passion for the sport of tennis and her desire to become a member of the WVTC.
Over the years, she has been an active member of our Club. Most recently, she has had the privilege to be a co-captain of one of our ladies night league teams. She has also been actively involved on the board of the North Shore Tennis Society which promotes making tennis accessible to all members of our community.
Tennis has given her a great connection to her community and allowed her to make lifelong friends on and off the court. She is very proud to be a member of the WVTC and looks forward to the opportunity to work with fellow Board members to further develop and strengthen our Club’s Community Outreach Events.
Robert Pearson
Director
Robert was raised and educated in Glasgow, Scotland before moving to Vancouver in 1981 to pursue a career in the British Columbia real estate industry until his retirement in 2012. This enthusiasm for Canada was instilled in him by his mum who was born in Vancouver.
He has always been a passionate sportsman and after an initial fixation on squash, he became interested in everything tennis and has been a dedicated convert ever since he joined the Club roughly 10 years ago.
In his spare time he kayaks, cycles and enjoys music and art.
In joining the Board Robert hopes to make a difference to the future success and enjoyment of the Club by its members.
Mark Slay
Director
Mark and his wife, Donna Cooke, are lifetime residents of the North Shore. Mark has been a lawyer since 1984 and has practiced at North Shore Law, where he is a Partner, since 1998.
Mark has had extensive involvement with amateur sport, particularly Rugby. He has served as President of both the Capilano Rugby Club and the BC Rugby Union, and later was Secretary of Rugby Canada. As a youngster, Mark took lessons at the Capilano Tennis Club. However, after a hiatus from the game of about 40 years, Mark and Donna were looking to find a sport that they could enjoy together. They were fortunate to land at the West Vancouver Tennis Club, and they can be found on Court 3 most weekend mornings, playing and having laughs. To date, Mark’s tennis highlight was sharing a beer with Rod Laver at a Rugby tournament.
Mark appreciates the legacy of the West Vancouver Tennis Club and hopes to ensure that it continues to be a welcoming and vibrant addition to the community for years to come.
Past Presidents
THANK YOU
Volunteering is vital to the success of our Club! We thank the following Past Presidents for their service, as well as the many other volunteers who have served on the Board and sub-committees, or contributed in other ways.
- 2022- Sabine Ritson
- 2019-2022 Marina Alexander
- 2017-2019 Jeffrey Sparling
- 2015-2017 Colin MacDonald
- 2013-2015 Nancy Beaty
- 2011-2013 Gill Eston
- 2010-2011 Hal Hartmann
- 2008-2010 Bill Nordmark
- 2006-2008 Court Brousson
- 2004-2006 Paul Tutsch
- 2002-2004 Jane Baggott
- 2001-2002 Bob Weese
- 1998-2001 Greg Tolliday
- 1996-1998 Gordon Burns
- 1995-1996 John Herrman
- 1993-1995 Tom Marshall
- 1991-1993 Amir Somji
- 1989-1991 Louise Mardon
- 1987-1989 Philip Booth
- 1985-1987 Warren Sutherland
- 1981-1985 Joe Hillhouse
- 1980-1981 Peter Bagshaw
- 1978-1980 Pat McMullen
- 1977-1978 Patricia Terrace
- 1975-1977 Eric Rottmeister
- 1973-1975 Information unavailable
- 1971-1973 Keith Busfield
- 1969-1971 Information unavailable
- 1967-1969 Vic Morgan
- 1965-1967 Don Wilson
- 1964-1965 Ken Shellard
- 1963-1964 Len Kellog
- 1962-1963 Dick Hunter
- 1961-1962 Richard Garrett
- 1959-1961 Ted Clark
- 1957-1959 Neil McPherson
- 1955-1957 Ron Penwarden
- 1953-1955 Walter Sills
- 1951-1953 Alan Finnie
- 1947-1951 Earnie Kershaw
- 1925-1947 Information unavailable