LEADERSHIP, GRANTS, PARTNERS & SPONSORS

TOPs Founder Marceil Whitney serves as a Board Member, Director of Outreach and Director of Junior Programming. Marceil has reached youth of all ages and abilities over a 50-year coaching career through the game of tennis. A certified USPTA instructor, Marceil's coaching journey began in her hometown of Molalla, Oregon, and in her sophomore year of high school, she realized her desire to give back to youth through tennis—an opportunity she wished she had received herself.  Upon her family's move to Seattle's Eastside, she brought her passion for youth tennis to the community. In 1991, Marceil authored a book, teaching manual, and VHS video titled "Teenie Tennis: A Love Game" to share her approach to tennis instruction for the youngest of players. 

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Between 1997 and 2012, she coached at Central Park Tennis Club and served as the Redmond High School tennis coach, developing an inclusive team environment with a "no cuts" policy. She has been a longtime partner of Redmond Parks and Recreation, offering tennis camp programming to the general public.  Notably, she was recognized for her "Wake Up To Tennis" program for underserved youth in collaboration with Redmond Elementary School and the Old Redmond School House.

In 2003, Marceil founded Tennis Outreach Programs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to further expand her desire to give back to the community. With help from supporters and generous major donors, she opened Eastside Tennis Center (ETC) in 2013, a dedicated facility for Tennis Outreach Programs, to ensure TOPs could offer youth tennis programs year-round.  Marceil developed Adaptive Tennis for children with autism and in 2024 introduced Adaptive Tennis for Hard of Hearing and Deaf Students with ASL Interpreters on court.  Marceil's dedication to youth tennis has landed her in the USTA International Hall of Fame (1992) and the USTA PNW Hall of Fame (2023).  Marceil and her husband Brian have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.  

Aliya Khan serves on the Board of Directors as President. Aliya is an avid tennis player and program manager who joined TOPs in 2020. Aliya is a strong believer in the value of mentorship and sees tennis as a great way to provide kids with a positive environment. A current USTA and Cup player at Eastside Tennis Center and Harbor Square, she remains passionate about bringing tennis to everyone as a way to be active and connected in the community. Aliya is a former technology professional with 20 years industry experience working for corporations including Teligent, OpenText and most recently Microsoft.  She has mentored young adults through the YearUp organization and currently volunteers within Lake Washington School District. Aliya is from Northern Virginia and a graduate of Radford University.

Dave Halgren is a Board Member and serves as the Director of Operations for Tennis Outreach Programs and Eastside Tennis Center. After a career in corporate operations, Dave joined TOPs in 2020, driven by a commitment to enhancing customer experiences, streamlining operations, and leading large teams. In his current role, he oversees day-to-day operations at ETC and actively supports TOPs' mission of making tennis accessible to everyone.  Dave has been passionate about tennis since the age of 14, starting at Kamiakin Junior High and later competing at the state level for Juanita High School. He continues to play in USTA leagues, participating in both men's and mixed teams. Professionally, Dave has been awarded for his leadership in managing critical projects, such as natural disaster displacements. In 2021, he was recognized for his efforts in helping TOPs navigate the challenges of the pandemic, ensuring the organization's financial stability.  Dave remains dedicated to TOPs' mission, impacting over 3,500 youth players annually, and welcomes all tennis and pickleball enthusiasts to Eastside Tennis Center!

Charles “Chick” Hodge is a former president of the TOPs Board and currently serves as Vice-President and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and the TOPs Marymoor Task Force. He is strongly committed to the TOPs mission and finds the work both challenging and rewarding. As a former less-than-affluent junior tennis player, he appreciates those who made tennis possible for him and wants to provide that valuable experience for other kids, regardless of their economic circumstance. He also appreciates the commitment of TOPs to enrichment programs, as well as the generosity of the TOPs donors. Chick is a graduate of Lehigh University and Stanford. He moved to Seattle for a 35-year Boeing career in aircraft engineering.  During this time, he built a neighborhood tennis court, served on the Washington Youth Tennis Foundation, and as Tennis Chairman at the Mercer Island Country Club during a time of a major facility expansion. He later served on the board of the Atlantic Street Center, a non-profit that serves low-income kids and families in Seattle’s Rainier Valley, where he co-founded and taught tennis for thirteen years at a weeklong Tennis Camp at Rainier Playfield.

Jenny Wang serves as the chairperson for the TOPs Marketing committee.  She played D3 tennis for Grinnell College in Iowa.  She received her graduate degree from Yale where she studied history and East Asian Studies. Jenny previously worked for Cargill in commodities trading. She also worked in digital, direct, promotional, and branding marketing for a Havas agency.  She has served on the Board of Directors for Technology Access Foundation and the Peter Kirk Elementary School PTSA. "I've always been a huge supporter of outreach programs, especially for youth. As tennis will always be a part of my life and my happy place, I am excited to work with fellow tennis enthusiasts to contribute to TOPs mission and values.