The USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation is excited to announce that Jill Siegel is the recipient of the 2024 Heart for Community – USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation District Executive Director Award!
This award was founded in memory of Margaret Ruemanapp, who was a recognized leader within the Northern Michigan Tennis Association and served as their Executive Director. This award honors her innovative and inclusive spirit.
Jill Siegel joined CDTA in 2018 and very quickly began making a significant impact on the work of the Chicago District. Through her efforts beginning in 2019, CDTA partnered with the Chicago Park District (CPD) to provide free tennis instruction in diverse geographic areas of Chicago. The initiative began in 5 park day camps introducing 450 youth to tennis; 71% of them had not played tennis prior to the camp. After a COVID summer of inactivity, park programming began expanding and in 2025, CDTA - with the help of more than 60 coaches that are hired annually - will provide Day Camp instruction, junior Tennis 101 classes, and adult Cardio Tennis classes in 42 parks across the City of Chicago. In 2024, total participation in CDTA’s park programs exceeded 13,000.
Jill has also diversified revenue and partnerships through efforts with groups such as A Sweat Life, Play Your Court, and Gladiator Tennis to connect CDTA with fitness communities to promote tennis as an important health and wellness activity. She has also increased sponsorship activity for the District through engagements with Wilson, Slinger Bag, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and others. CDTA’s work in Chicago’s parks has also attracted new grant support from Serve and Return Chicago, the Midwest Tennis and Education Foundation, and Laureus Sport for Good.
Her leadership has led to a 93% increase in revenue to approximately $800,000 in 2024. Core USTA programs still account for most of CDTA’s program revenue; however, 18% of program revenue now comes from grassroots programming. In 2018, non-core programming primarily served the core USTA junior player. Today, non-core USTA programming in the Chicago District is designed to attract new/returning players and to meet needs/desires that fall outside of core programming, particularly in areas that have low USTA membership.
Blending her past non-tennis work experience with her CDTA role, Jill helped guide the CDTA Board through a successful visioning retreat in 2020 and subsequent work the following year on a strategic plan. Key outcomes of that work were a refined mission and vision that all Board members embraced. CDTA was no longer “just” the governing body for tennis in the Chicago District; there was now full Board support for focusing on transforming lives through tennis. After completing the strategic plan, CDTA’s work was organized around three key pillars beyond core USTA programming: health, research, and player prospecting. Those three pillars are now fully embedded in budgets and work plans that guide the work of the District.
Jill played tennis as a junior in the Missouri Valley Section and in college at Agnes Scott College, an NAIA women’s college in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur. She stepped away from the game during grad school, during her early career, and while she and her husband started their family. Upon returning to the game she loves, she quickly picked up USTA play and is currently a 4.5 player on multiple USTA League teams. Her career, first as an architectural design professional, then an urban planner, followed by a non-profit administrator and consultant led her to the opportunity to take on the reins of CDTA.
The USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation (MTEF) extends its heartfelt thanks to Jill Siegel for her outstanding dedication to the Chicago District and tennis. Her exceptional contributions are why she was nominated, recognized, and honored with the 2024 Heart for Community Award.
Jill will be presented with an etched vase during the 2024 Board of Directors Annual Meeting and will also accept a monetary award on behalf of her District.
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