Board of Directors Spotlight: Dave Champoux
WESTBOROUGH, MA - Dave Champoux is the President of the USTA New England Board of Directors, currently serving in his third and final year. He shares how he first got into the sport, the initiative he's most passionate about and the benefits of joining the New England Board.
Why did you decide to join USTA New England’s Board of Directors?
For many years, I had been (and continue to be) a pretty active League player and, ultimately, a captain, and was approached several years ago to join the Board of the Maine Tennis Association, in part due to my involvement in league and tournament tennis and in part due to my legal and business experience. That later led to my being encouraged to apply for a position on the USTA New England Board, which I did out of a desire to connect and work with other volunteers and USTANE staff to give back to the sport that has become such a significant part of the lives of me and my entire family.
What is your professional background?
I recently retired from practicing law, which I did for nearly 40 years, first as a junior associate at a large New York law firm and then, for over 35 years, as an associate and then a partner at Pierce Atwood, the largest law firm north of Boston, where I practiced corporate/transactional law, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, complex commercial contracts and securities law compliance.
How has your expertise helped USTA New England achieve its mission to promote and develop the sport of tennis in New England?
I believe I've been able to contribute my expertise where legal matters (including those relating to contracts and corporate governance) have arisen, as well as, more generally, business issues that implicate the experience I've accumulated in advising business clients for several decades. Working collaboratively with other skilled volunteers and USTANE staff to address these issues and solve problems as they have arisen has been one of the most satisfying aspects of service on the USTANE Board.
What is a USTA New England initiative you’re most passionate about?
Dave Champoux is in his third year as USTA New England Board President.
I was born and raised in Lynn, Massachusetts into a working class family, and spent a substantial amount of time playing sports in the public parks in Lynn, and am particularly excited about the section's emphasis on, and great progress in, establishing and expanding tennis programming in the parks around the section, bringing the great sport of tennis to populations (especially young players and players from diverse backgrounds) who might otherwise not have that opportunity.
Why should someone consider volunteering as a board member with USTA New England?
Two reasons stand out for me: a chance to meet, work with and develop friendships with other folks from around New England from many different walks of life who share the common bond of loving tennis, and a chance to give something back to this wonderful sport that has given so much to so many.
Tell us how you initially got connected to tennis (as a player, fan, etc.)
I watched some tennis on TV as a kid in the 1970s when Connors, Ashe, Borg, BJK, Evert, etc. were the big names, and hacked around on the public courts with my brother, but really got more serious about tennis when we moved to Maine in the late 1980s and, as a desk-bound young lawyer, realized that I needed some exercise that was also fun, and started taking lessons and ultimately started playing USTA League tennis and local tournaments. This connected me and my wife to a whole new world of interesting folks who loved to play tennis, which quickly became (and remains) a core part of our recreational and social lives.
Apply to be on the Board of Directors
The USTA New England Board of Directors is comprised of Officers, State Delegates, Delegates at Large, President’s Appointees and recent past presidents. The board is elected every three years and is the final authority on all policy matters of USTA New England.
The application for the 2024-26 term is now open. If you are looking to get more involved in the New England tennis community and have creative ideas that could improve the landscape of tennis right here in New England, you could be a perfect fit! Unique viewpoints and new and diverse ideas to help grow and develop tennis in New England are encouraged.
Learn More & Apply by April 15
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