Ginny Ehrlich, an accomplished and successful leader of charitable organizations in the sports, youth, and education space, has been named the next chief executive officer of the USTA Foundation.
Ehrlich joins the national charitable arm of the USTA Foundation from the United States Soccer Foundation, where she led the strategy and execution of a multi-year fundraising plan to support the USSF's youth development programs as its chief revenue officer and exceeded all financial goals in two years.
An avid tennis player, joining the USTA Foundation represented a homecoming of sorts for Ehrlich: As a child, she learned the game at a National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapter, the USTA Foundation's flagship in- and after-school program for tennis and education development.
“I am beyond excited to join the USTA Foundation team,” Ehrlich said. “I believe that tennis is a powerful vehicle for supporting youth from under-resourced communities to reach their fullest potential – on and off the court. As someone who started playing tennis at an NJTL chapter, I have seen the impact of the USTA Foundation in action and cannot wait to lead its accelerated growth and impact in the coming years.”
Prior to the USSF, she served as the CEO of Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national leader in childhood obesity prevention, and held executive-level positions at a number of nationally-recognized non-profits including Power to Decide, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Clinton Foundation in her more than 25-year career to date.
As CEO of the USTA Foundation, Ehrlich will lead all aspects of the USTA Foundation, and will be responsible for its strategic vision, financial planning, delivery, operations, staff supervision, and board development, with the goal of maximizing and enhancing the programming and fundraising efforts necessary to achieve its mission. She will work across the entire organization to build a culture of philanthropy within the USTA and the tennis community at large.
The USTA Foundation supports programs nationwide that leverage tennis and education to help those in need, primarily through the NJTL network. The NJTL network features more than 270 chapters that reach more than 130,000 youth on an annual basis, providing free or low-cost tennis and education programming to the 50 largest markets in the U.S.
“Ginny's remarkable combination of skills, extensive experience, and unwavering dedication make her the perfect fit for our next CEO,” Kathleen Wu, USTA Foundation Board President, said. “We have complete confidence that she is the ideal leader for this pivotal moment, and we eagerly anticipate the impactful work she will undertake."
“The USTA Foundation makes a profound impact on so many individuals throughout this country, bringing them the opportunity to pick up a racquet and enjoy this amazing sport, while at the same time enriching their lives through education and life lessons,” added Andrea Hirsch, the USTA’s chief operating officer and general counsel. “Ginny’s experience and expertise will help to ensure that the USTA Foundation is in the best position to cultivate and deliver the resources needed to continue the impact the Foundation has on thousands of young people, delivering the numerous health and wellness benefits of tennis to communities throughout this country.”
Ehrlich holds a doctorate of education in education leadership from the University of Oregon. She also received her B.A. and M.S. in special education from Oregon, and was awarded a master of public health degree by Boston University.