Vesa Ponkka

President

For more than two decades, Vesa has been the driving force behind JTCC’s holistic coaching philosophy since the doors first opened in 1999 at the training center in College Park, MD.

Vesa is a strong believer in the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) stages and the Long-Term Progressive Training Methods. He has directly overseen the development of hundreds of JTCC players competing in all levels of tennis; USTA, ITF, NCAA, ATP, WTA, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Grand Slams, and Olympic Games. Under his leadership, JTCC has been named the National Development Program of the Year in 2013 and 2017 by USTA.

In 2011, Vesa was selected as the National Developmental Coach of the Year by the US Olympic Committee and was recognized as the National Junior Coach of the Year by Tennis Industry Magazine in 2013. Vesa is widely acclaimed as one of the best development coaches in the world and is a frequent speaker at national and international coaching education seminars.

As JTCC President, Vesa directs long-term strategic planning, facilitates project implementation, and fosters new partnerships. He also manages and mentors staff members and ensures the high standard of quality of JTCC programming.

His coaching certifications include USPTA, PTR, and USTA High Performance.

Vesa earned both an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a MBA from the University of Tennessee.

Ray Benton

CEO

One of the most successful and experienced executives in the tennis industry, Ray is passionately committed to growing tennis participation at every level of the sport.

Under his leadership as the CEO since 2008, JTCC has been the recipient of the USTA’s Development Program of the Year, the USTA Organization of the Year, and the USTA Facility of the Year.

Most importantly, JTCC programs have developed ATP and WTA Tour players and more than 200 student-athletes who have earned over $21 million in college scholarships at top NCAA Division I, II, and III programs.

Ray was a founder and president of ProServ, a leading sports management and marketing firm, which managed top athletes including Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Tracy Austin, Pam Shriver, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Payne Stewart and Dave Winfield, among many other superstars. Ray directed the Volvo Grand Prix and the Volvo Masters at Madison Square Garden, serving as the tournament director for more than 100 major events.

Ray promoted the Nuveen Tour from 1993-2000, the first worldwide senior tennis circuit featuring Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and other legends of the game who competed in 22 events drawing 500,000 spectators annually.

As the first National Executive Director of the National Junior Tennis League (NJTL), Ray led the organization’s growth from three cities to 50 chapters. JTCC’s GEICO Game On! and Sandy Spring Bank Advantage Prince George’s programs are legacy NJTL chapters made possible through Ray’s vision.

Ray has served on the board of directors of the USTA and both the men’s and women’s professional tennis associations. He represented the North American Tournament Directors on the Men’s International Professional Tennis Council and the Top 20 players on the WTA Board of Directors.

Ray was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame in 2005.

Joe Wilkerson

Chief Operating Officer

With more than 20 years of professional experience in the health and tennis industry, Joe has an impressive track record of growing memberships and the game of tennis.

Joe held key management positions with Midtown Athletic Clubs and Midtown Health from 2003-17. He was hired as a tennis coach and moved quickly through the ranks to become Regional Tennis Director. In that role, Joe oversaw all tennis operations at two of Mercy Health’s clubs and three area country clubs. Joe was then promoted to General Manager for Mercy HealthPlex Anderson, the flagship of Midtown Health, where he operated a 150,000-square foot Health Wellness & Tennis Club in Cincinnati and led a team of 225 associates dedicated to creating the best athletic club environment in the greater Cincinnati area.

From 2017-19, Joe was General Manager of the Raleigh Racquet Club, a 31-court facility on 20 acres with more than 1,000 members in North Carolina.

When he was Senior Vice President, Joe immediately created Learn Tennis Now, JTCC’s new adult tennis program. He is responsible for oversight of club operations, programming and staffing. In addition, he manages capital projects and seeks new business development opportunities for JTCC nationwide.

Joe was recruited to play collegiate tennis for Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC where he graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Professional Tennis Management,

Joe holds certifications from USPTA, PTR, and USTA Sports Science.

Vivian Norelus

Director of Finance & Human Resources

As the Director of Finance and Human Resources and a member of the Executive Team, Vivian supervises the accounting and human resource departments at JTCC and is responsible for oversight of the accounting for JTCC satellite sites, including Bolles, the Silver Spring YMCA and TennisCT.

During her seven years at JTCC, Vivian has developed and implemented extended benefits for employees.

Prior to joining JTCC, Vivian received her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with a minor in Sociology from Gettysburg College and earned her MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She also attended the Swiss Finance Academy.

Megan Moulton-Levy

Vice President

A former top 50 WTA Tour doubles standout and two-time recipient of the National ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship, Megan serves as an aspirational role model for JTCC players and coaches. She continues to be widely recognized as a leader in the sport and was recently appointed to the USTA Board of Directors.

As Vice President and a member of the Executive Team, Megan’s goal is to create an environment of excellence both on and off the court at JTCC. Her certifications include PTR Performance, USTA High Performance and USTA Facility Coach.

Since joining JTCC in 2016, Megan has coached and mentored players who have been crowned NCAA Champions, achieved top 100 ITF junior rankings, and who have continued to succeed playing DI and DIII collegiate tennis.

Competing on the professional tour from 2008-17, Megan demonstrated her consistency by reaching the Round of 32 at all four Grand Slams in doubles and winning the WTA Monterrey doubles championship in addition to 10 ITF doubles titles.

While earning a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from William & Mary in 2007, Megan completed a stellar college tennis career with a top 10 ranking in both singles and doubles, achieving the #1 ranking in doubles and #7 in singles. The six-time All-American reached the semifinal round of the 2006 NCAA Singles Championship and the final round of the 2007 NCAA Doubles Championship.

Megan’s coaching philosophy is, “Get players excited about their progress which will fuel their motivation to continue to work hard, overcome setbacks and reach their full potential.”

Mark Santangelo

Director of School

For 15 years, Mark has been responsible for the extraordinary academic success of the student-athletes enrolled in the JTCC School who have been admitted to the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation.

From course selection and time management to tutorial support, exams, and college applications, Mark also coordinates community service activities including the annual MLK Day of Service and the annual Trail Clean-Up in coordination with the Maryland Parks Department.

With both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s Degree in History earned at Yale and George Washington University, respectively, Mark is the primary support for students’ History and English courses offered through the Laurel Springs curriculum.

The annual JTCC School graduation organized by Mark is the capstone to the students’ academic experience.

Alisama Agnamba

Senior Director of Player Development

• Since joining JTCC in 2003, has developed more than 100 players who have competed at Division I, II and III universities
• Named 2022 US Olympic Committee Developmental Coach of the Year
• Coached ATP pros Frances Tiafoe and Denis Kudla and WTA pro Robin Montgomery
• Certifications: USTA, PTR & USPTA High Performance

Brock Martin

Director of Athlete Development

Langston Williams

Staff Professional

Marta Perez Mur

Junior & Adult Community Coordinator

Pei Chang

Staff Professional

Daniel Omaboe

Staff Professional

John Marah

Staff Professional

Ross Howe

Staff Professional

Mark Batoon

Staff Professional

David Loss

Staff Professional

Kevin Murphy

Staff Professional

Insee Akarapan

Staff Professional

Oliver Akli

Senior Director of Coach Development

• One of the first coaches to join JTCC in 2000
• Has had many coaching success stories with players who have won ITF tournaments and who have earned scholarships and played top Division I, II and III tennis
• Certifications: USPTR & USPTA High Performance

Dylan Green

Development Associate

• Assists on all development and fundraising campaigns in support of JTCC’s mission
• Graduated from Duke University in 2023 with a Public Policy degree and a Psychology minor

Olivia Medina

Outreach Associate

• Assists on all data collection and lesson plans for Youth Impact programs GEICO Game On! in the District of Columbia and Advantage Prince George’s in Maryland
• Assists on tracking community service hours for JTCC staff and players

Katie Marzerka

Marketing Associate

• Assists with JTCC marketing initiatives including graphic design projects
• Facilitate growth of JTCC’s presence on all social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and X

Dylan Bailey

Staff Professional

• Coaches players in Future Champs and Adult programs
• Grew up playing at West Winds Tennis & Fitness Center

Eduardo Vieira

Bolles Staff Professional

• Certification: PTR Level 1

Virginia Poggi

Bolles Staff Professional

• Trained underneath Director of Bolles Tennis Claudio Pistolesi
• Certification: PTR Level 1

Claudio Pistolesi

Director of Bolles Tennis

• Worked with WTA stars including former World No. 1 Monica Seles
• Coached ATP players including former World No. 4 Robin Soderling
• Certification: USPTA, PTR, GPTCA Level A

Francesca Fusinato

Bolles Staff Professional

• Coached with former World No. 10, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, for 5 years, coaching elite high school and collegiate tennis players
• Certification: PTR Level 1

Alberto Demeo

Bolles Staff Professional

• Coached players at ATP, ITF futures, & ITF Junior Tournaments
• Certification: USPTA, GTPCA, Tennis Serve Specialist by Kovacs Institute, International Tennis Performance Association

Marek Slojewski

Junior & Adult Competition Coordinator

• Coaches players in Future Champs and Adult programs
• Played collegiate tennis at Cameron University & named ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2022

Priyana Kalita

Staff Professional

• Coaches players in Champions High Performance programs
• Played collegiate tennis at Miami University of Ohio
• Former assistant coach for nationally ranked Swarthmore College Women’s Tennis team

James Carr

Director of Champs II

• Has held various key coaching positions at JTCC including Co-Director of Champs II
• Certifications: USTA & USPTA High Performance

TC Costello

Senior Director of Athlete Development

• Current fitness coach of professional player Frances Tiafoe
• Works with WTA player Alison Riske as well as numerous ITF Top 10 players
• Certifications: NSCA strength and conditioning specialist & DBC Fitness Level 1

Paula Coyos

Senior Coach & Fila Manager

• Coaches Champions program players
• Handles FILA account for JTCC
• Certification: PTR High Performance

Tyler Delaney

General Manager

• Responsible for overseeing club operations, facilities, programming, and staffing
• Assist with marketing initiatives and help grow membership sales
• Played collegiate tennis at George Mason University

Gabby Hesse

Head Of Wheelchair & Adaptive Tennis

• Oversees Adaptive programs including Tennis Corps, Special Olympics, and Wheelchair Tennis
• Certifications: PTR L1 and USPTA L1 
• USTA National Wheelchair Tennis Committee & USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Youth Play Committee member

Jon Hall

Marketing & sales manager

• Manages JTCC’s social media platforms and marketing initiatives
• Point of contact for membership inquiries
• Received his Masters in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University

Julia Vranas

Classroom Teacher

Sasha Chin

Human Resources Manager

Winnie Bo

Development & International Associate

Joann Nguyen

Front Desk/Office Manager

• Manage and assist daily operations with the front desk staff and members, including court bookings, contract court times, and inventory
• Assist in office supply inventory for staff

Bernardo Migrino

Staff

• Responsible for major landscaping improvements, event setup, court maintenance, and general facility upkeep

Ricky Migrino

Staff

• Responsible for major landscaping improvements, event setup, court maintenance, and general facility upkeep

Elbino Runas

Director of Facilities

• Oversees all facility upkeep and improvements as well as major landscaping projects
• Studied at La Union Standard Academy in the Philippines

Miroslav Vlcek

Director of Junior Champions

• Oversees High Performance player development for ages 8-12
• Certifications: PTR Performance

Asaf Yamin

Director of International Operations & Senior Coach

• Oversees all aspects of the High Performance program
• Former assistant coach for the Israeli Fed Cup Team
• Certifications: ITF Level 1 and Level 2, Senior Coach- Israeli Tennis Association, Youth Olympic Committee Coach, Advanced Coach- PTR, Israeli Defense Forces- Elite Unit Service