New Executive Director Joins LCCTA
Claudia Hudson Assumes Top Role at Lee Community Tennis Association
The Lee County Community Tennis Association has a new, multi-talented Executive Director seeking to make Lee County one of the country's premier tennis destinations.
Lee County sports aficionados are about to find out that tennis is no longer “a stealth operation” as Lee County Community Tennis Association President Harriet Bohannon asserted it once was. With the hiring of Claudia Hudson as Executive Director, it is only a matter of time before tennis begins to rival golf in visibility throughout the county.
Hudson Ready to Take the Reins
The thirty-one-year-old Hudson hails from Orange County California, but now resides in Cape Coral with husband Marcus, and daughters Lauryn (6) and Azriel (13). The Hudsons are one of the many families in Lee County that were extremely inconvenienced due to building delays. Now on the verge of moving into their new home next to parents Lorenzo and Isdalida, Hudson is looking forward to feeling like a full member of the community. “I’m really looking forward to getting involved, hands-on, in the community…I like the fact that with this [the new position] I can hopefully get to see a broader scope of the community, and go out there and get my hands dirty,” she explained.
People Skills a Hudson Asset
It is evident immediately upon meeting Hudson that she is a people person and able to communicate with just about anyone…and that’s before you find out that she’s bilingual. Hudson confirmed that impression. Asked about what she brings to the position, Hudson responded, “It would be really easy for me to say that it is my ability to multi-task and my ability to switch gears. But what’s going to make me thrive is that I genuinely enjoy people.” She goes on to describe herself as, “a cultural anthropologist that never turns that switch off.”
Hudson's Toolkit
Possessing a Bachelors and Masters degrees in Communications from Cal State Fullerton, and years of journalistic experience, Hudson is poised to spread the tennis word throughout Lee County and beyond. Regarding what she would like to accomplish in the role of Executive Director, Hudson asserted emphatically, “I think the potential is incredible, both for bringing the community together through the sport that our board members are so passionate about, and also showcasing the sport to the whole of Florida and the whole of the US, making this a premier destination for tennis...that’s what I would like to see.”
Being the Associate Editor and Writer for www.myhero.com and writer for the Spanish language sister site, www.miheroe.org, combined with her teaching a variety of subjects at the Community Christian School of Southwest Florida, Hudson is well equipped to spread the tennis word to diverse communities. Her interest in diverse populations and her commitment to “community” factored prominently in her decision to accept the role of Executive Director. “Being bilingual, one of my goals is definitely to go into underrepresented communities and to bring out their tennis stars, and if nothing else bring out the love of tennis in these communities that I think could really benefit from this wonderful sport,” she asserted.
Hudson and LCCTA Board in Accord
Her goals are in harmony with the primary objectives of the LCCTA Board of Directors, all of whom are anticipating Hudson’s official start date of September 1. Asked about her view of Hudson’s priorities coming in, Board President, Harriet Bohannon, stated, “Well there are actually 27 of them…but in summary it’s clearly to continue promoting the program growth [and] visibility and awareness of tennis opportunities throughout the community and to the larger population.” As for the reasons that the Board is thrilled to have Hudson take the reins, Bohannon explains, “She brings a strong background that is well matched to our needs, with experience in the nonprofit sector and her leadership skills.”
Nonprofit Sector Satisfies Hudson
Asked why she prefers applying her considerable skills in the nonprofit arena, Hudson responded that there were a variety of reasons, but her primary reason is that, “…at the end of the day I feel good about what I do. I get a great sense of satisfaction in knowing that I have enriched someone's life somehow, and have made the world, or at least my small corner of it, a better, brighter place.” Lee County’s current and future tennis lovers are likely to feel fortunate that Hudson has chosen this particular corner of the world to shine her multi-hued light.
