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!
Marina Alexander
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 1970’s and joined the Board in 2015 as a Social Director. She and Gord Saunders delivered annual events such as the Bubble Up party, the Bollywood Calcutta, the Club Championship and the Celebration of Tennis. 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 run by Leslie Sielski, and worked on court usage balancing, manager evaluations, coaching contracts and revising the Club Constitution. Marina became President in September 2019 and her 2020 key involvement has been renovating the clubhouse while it was closed, working closely with Sandy and the Board on the COVID-19 response with the prime goal of getting members back to playing – and continuing to play – in a safe environment, and delivering a unique AGM. Other future objectives include modernizing the Club Bylaws and member outreach.
Marina is looking forward to continuing to make our Club a positive, friendly and fun place to play.
Sabine Ritson
Vice President / Communications
Sabine has served on the Board of WVTC since 2017 in the role of Communications Director. With an extensive background in Information Technology as a business and systems analyst, Sabine provides consulting services to a diverse client base, specializing in process flow and administration. This experience allows her to contribute to the ongoing success of the Club both in a general capacity and in the following areas as Communications Director: General consultant to the Manager regarding IT matters, process improvements through system additions and upgrades, website maintenance, membership communications, and newsletter editing and production.
Sabine lives in Ambleside with her husband Gavin. The WVTC is a huge part of their social and sporting life, and they enjoy participating and volunteering in special events, lessons, and league. The Club’s ongoing viability and vibrancy are personal imperatives for her.
Jeffrey Sparling
Past President / 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
Geoff Adair
Grounds & Facilities Director
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.
Donna Allaby
Coaching Director
Donna has been a member of WVTC since 2010 and has had the privilege of serving on the Board for the past 4 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. Donna is also a Co-Social Director, and is looking for creative ways to provide fun, safe social events for members. Her prime goal is to retain our reputation as the “Fun Social Club of the North Shore”!
Linda Green
Social Director / Member Outreach
Linda has been a member for over 20 years and was Co-Social Director at the Club in the mid 2000’s. She works in the technology sector and finds the release of playing tennis an important part of life balance activities. The Club is an important part of her life and she feels that the key to making and keeping the Club vibrant is to get involved and make a contribution.
Linda lives in Ambleside and also enjoys kayaking, walking the sea wall, downhill skiing and a variety of creative interests. She always looks forward to meeting members and making new friends.
Bob Hafizi
Social Director
Bio coming soon…
Leslie Sielski
Community Outreach Director
Leslie is the current Chair of the Community Outreach Committee. Its mandate is to drive and participate in community initiatives, form meaningful relationships with District politicians and management, other sports clubs and the community at large. The committee created the Heritage Club Games in 2019, which was so successful that it was formally awarded a Community Award recognizing commitments and efforts by individuals and groups to build a stronger community and enhance our quality of life. The Heritage Club Games joined with the ParticipACTION Community Challenge in 2021 to hold a COVID-safe Games. The overall results of the 2021 Games was another huge success. West Vancouver placed second competing with all the participating communities across Canada, earning a $15,000 prize to support sports in West Van. Further exposure for the Club is being achieved by participating in the North Shore Art Crawl. WVTC hosts a number of artists to display their works and invites the community at large to visit our Club over the weekend of the Crawl. Leslie is dedicated to making sure the WVTC is recognized as a valued contributor to the community and will continue to occupy our current site on the community centre block.
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.
- 2019- 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