Working closely with the Conga Sports Board of Directors and Senior Management, we have enlisted the expertise of an Advisory Board comprised of professionals from the worlds of tennis, business, and entrepreneurship. The role of the board is to assist Conga Sports leadership in an advisory capacity as we are developing a long-term plan for the company.
Conga Sports Advisory Board
Adrien (AJ) Chabria has played, covered, and coached at professional circuit events all around the globe. He has enjoyed a 26-year career as Head Pro/Tennis Director at two historic clubs in the Bay Area and in Dallas, Texas. AJ is a contributing editor at TennisPlayer.net — the top tennis instructional site in the world, according to Forbes. He coaches elite players, customizes frames for college and tour players, and serves as teacher tester for the USRSA’s Master Racquet Technician program. Together with Craig Bell, AJ is also co-moderator of the popular AT THE NET PODCAST.
A graduate of UCLA, Lisa Stone is a mom who also happens to be a tennis mom. As the former Chair of the Georgia Governor’s Commission on Physical Fitness & Sports and President of Fit For 2, Inc., Lisa had been involved in the fitness and sports arena for over 25 years and is the recipient of the 2019 USTA Georgia Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award. As the founder of ParentingAces, Lisa has given Tennis Parents a true voice. Based in Georgia and in Southern California, her ParentingAces Podcast is a member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network.
USPTA Master Professional and PTR International Master professional Ken DeHart has been teaching tennis for over 30 years at both the recreational and performance level. He was the 8th inductee into the PTR Hall of Fame joining celebrities like Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King, Dennis Van der Meer, and Dr. Jim Loehr. Based in San Jose, California, Ken is a published writer, having co-authored the original "International Book of Drills" with Dennis Van der Meer and his book, "Mastering your Tennis Game." As a National Tester for the Professional Tennis Registry, he helps train and certify tennis-teaching professionals. He enjoys being a mentor to anyone who loves the game of tennis. Ken is a Charter Member of the PTR and the PPR (Professional Pickleball Registry.) The Director of Racquets at Alpine Hills Tennis and Swimming Club in Portola Valley, CA says, “My goal is to assist in providing continuing education for tennis-teaching professionals and coaches.”
Aruna "Dahal Chettri" Bernier (the middle name honoring her Kathmandu, Nepal roots) started her tennis career at the Van Der Meer Tennis University on Hilton Head Island. She is also a graphic artist and has a solid background with many years of experience in graphic web design and multimedia. Because of her love for teaching adult and junior tennis programs, Aruna became a tennis entrepreneur by starting her company tennisbuddys, LLC in Austin, Texas in 2004. Aruna is the recipient of the 2016 PTR Humanitarian of the Year award for her work in Disaster and Humanitarian Relief for Nepal. In 2021 she was voted Texas PTR Member of the Year and one of Tennis Channel’s America’s Top 50 Coaches.
Over the past 20+ years, Tennis professional Gary Horvath has been a resource for the Colorado public and private sectors as the principal of Gary Horvath and Associates, providing business, economic, and market research that has impacted the way Colorado business leaders make decisions. The former Director of Racquet Sports at Tamarron Resort managed the facility’s racquet sports program and retail operation. Marketing and research analysis is in Gary’s blood which made him a valuable contributor for data-related articles in TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS. Gary is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Tennis professional Tina Samara is the founder and owner of Transition Coach 4 Athletes (TC4A), a global coaching and mentoring program helping athletes navigate the often challenging world of balancing school while maximizing sports performance. Tina says, “After competing at the Collegiate and Pro levels, ten years later, I found myself back in the college world as a Division 1 coach. During this time I noticed how the athletes were struggling with the demands of school and sport. Therefore, TC4A was born from a clear need to provide solutions to these problems.” Based in Denver, Colorado, Tina is also CEO of The Sampson Agency, a boutique sports, and entertainment booking agency.
PTR-certified teaching pro, tournament organizer, and community advocate Steve Riggs has been a leader in the Southern California tennis world for the past 27 years. Based in Orange County, Steve had been the tennis director for the city of Irvine, California for 15 years, overseeing one of the top city-run tennis programs in the country. He was in charge of 91 public tennis courts at 19 facilities, including the brand-new, 25-court Orange County Great Park Sports Complex. Semi-retired today, Steve works as a tennis consultant and is President of the non-profit Orange County Community Tennis Association.
Based in Sarasota, Florida, Michele Krause is the world's foremost expert on Cardio Tennis. As the architect of the Cardio Tennis® Program, she succeeded in taking the Cardio Tennis brand from concept to global brand recognition in over 30 countries. The USPTA Elite Professional and former long-time Director of Tennis at The Punta Gorda Club for Tennis and Fitness, Michele has truly made a difference by being a tireless evangelist for looking at Cardio Tennis as the most fun type of fitness program.
Bryan Baker is 4.0 tennis player who played on a D III tennis team. Bryan had a career in technology from 1974-2015. After retirement, he focused on technical consulting and specialized in software and reservations systems and processes.
He graduated with BA (1970) and MA (1974) in International Studies. US Army from 1970-1972
Veronica Badon is a USPTA-certified instructor who has taught professionally for over 30 years. She is the owner of the Badon Tennis Academy based in Altadena, California, and serves the greater Pasadena area. Her main facilities are Loma Alta Park, a 4-hard court public facility, and John Muir High School with 10 hard courts. Her Academy serves kids, juniors, and adults with extensive programming that includes USTA Junior Team Tennis league teams.