Board of Directors Spotlight: Jennifer Driscoll

WESTBOROUGH, MA - The USTA New England Board of Directors is made up of Officers, State Delegates, Delegates at Large, President’s Appointees, and recent past presidents. Elected every three years, the board serves as the final authority on all policy matters within the section.

Board members bring a wide range of experience across the tennis community, including players, coaches, officials, administrators, and league representatives, while also representing regions across New England.

Applications for the 2027–2029 term will open soon, and all interested individuals are encouraged to apply here. 

Jennifer Driscoll is a passionate tennis mom of three, the CEO of a financial services company and the USTA New England Board Secretary. 

She shares her tennis story below: 

Why did you decide to join the USTA New England Board?

Tennis is a big part of our family's life. I am an active player in the USTA Adult Leagues year around and all three of my kids play tennis too. One at the college level, one in high school, and the 3rd is an active tournament player in New England. As a result, I have spent most of the last 10 years involved with the USTA. After I turned 50 yrs old, I started to think about life beyond my professional career and where I wanted to spend my time. I have always been someone who wants to get involved, give back, and have a big impact on things that I am passionate about. So when I saw the opportunity to apply for the USTA New England Board of Directors, I felt it was my calling!

How did you first get connected to tennis?

When I was in middle school I wanted to try out for the high school tennis team the following year. So I started taking tennis lessons near our home and fell in love with the sport. I eventually made the JV and Varsity high school team and then continued playing as an adult. When the kids were in elementary school, we exposed them to many different activities whether it be ballet, tap dancing, soccer, baseball, karate and tennis. Out of all of the sports, tennis was the one that stuck with all of them. And now the rest is history! 

What is your professional background?

I started my career as a banker on Wall Street and transitioned to the corporate side after the Dot.com boom. For the past 25 years, I've worked as an Executive in Private Equity backed high growth software companies. Today, I am the CEO of a financial services software company called StarCompliance in the regulatory compliance space. 

How has your expertise helped USTA New England achieve its mission?

I have served on several Boards before, but never a non-profit organization. What I found is that non-profits operate in many ways similar to for-profit companies in the private sector. In many industries today, non-profits have to compete with for-profits in the services they offer and the value they provide to their customers and constituents. I could see that my skillset and experiences in the private sector were very transferable and desired in the USTA. Skills such as assisting with vision, strategy, budgeting, governance, audit, project management, marketing, advertising and communications are all skills I use on a regular basis in my Board role with the USTA. 

What USTA New England initiative are you most passionate about?

There are two! Finding and creating pathways for supporting the existing coaching community and developing a new generation of coaches for every level of tennis. It's essential to have a broad and diverse coaching community if we're going to see continued growth. Also, the sustainability of existing tennis facilities, particularly indoor, and looking at the potential across New England for growing the number of indoor courts. As we grow the game, we'll need more indoor space to satisfy the increased demand!

What is something you're most proud to have seen accomplished as a USTA New England volunteer?

I talked about the adoption of electronic line calling already, but it's only one of many initiatives that USTA New England has undertaken over the last few years. Initiatives have ranged from establishing the first Owners and Operators Summit, growing the game of tennis with our Parks & Recreation partners, the training and development of coaches, financially supporting improvements in our region's facilities, and expanding the competitive and tournament landscape for our juniors. USTA New England is an impressive organization that punches above its weight. We are one of the smallest sections in the country, but one with the boldest mindset and constant focus on improving and growing the game of tennis. It's been a steep learning curve for me as well to see what all goes on behind the scenes to make tennis what it is in New England. Next to me are hundreds of other volunteers who feel the way I do about tennis. It's been awesome to see the power of what a collective group of people can accomplish!

Why should someone consider volunteering as a board member?

If you are passionate about tennis, whether as a player, parent, or fan, and have tangible skills, experience, or know how that can help grow the future of tennis in New England, then I would highly recommend applying to the Board of Directors. I started out as a volunteer Junior Team Tennis coordinator at my local club in CT and loved it. And from there, I kept seeking more opportunities to support tennis in our clubs and communities. When I heard about the opportunity to apply for a Board role I thought it was a natural next step for me in my volunteer path and a great way to apply my professional skills to help the USTA continue to grow tennis in New England.