Amber Marino Named USTA Eastern CEO, Promises Boost for Hamptons Tennis

Amber Marino assumed the role of Executive Director & CEO of USTA Eastern on January 1, after serving as Associate Executive Director since June 2025, and used her first conference at the Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco to lay out a coaching-driven agenda for 2026. The conference, held March 4, brought high-profile instruction to the front of Marino’s plan, with the Bryan Brothers headlining an 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM interactive on-court session about doubles strategy and coaching.

Marino steps into the post as Jenny Schnitzer, who led USTA Eastern since 2015, retired at the end of 2025. Marino, who served as USTA Eastern Board President in 2019 and was the first female since 1997 to hold that position, described Schnitzer as a mentor: “Jenny is a remarkable leader and person, and I have learned so much from her over the years.” Marino also recalled working closely with Schnitzer during her presidency, saying, “Part of my tenure fell during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we had to dig deep and make a lot of decisions together in support of the Eastern tennis community.”

The March 4 conference emphasized collaboration and coach development as the organizing themes. Marino told attendees, “The overarching theme of every conference is collaboration. This is an opportunity for everyone in our tennis community to come together, share ideas and collectively celebrate our successes. I hope that everyone who attended walked away energized and excited about what they can achieve in the year ahead.” Practical coaching sessions ran early in the program: Andrés Sánchez, USTA Eastern New Jersey Community Tennis Coordinator and teaching pro, led “Creative Ways to Coach Large Groups” from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM, with a networking break at 10:45 AM.

Beyond the on-court curriculum, the conference schedule included an Awards Dinner on Friday night to honor Section contributors, RSPA & PTR member meetings at the MTK Hotel from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and the USTA Eastern Annual Meeting at 5:00 PM, described as an open meeting to “hear from USTA National and USTA Eastern leaders on the state of tennis in 2025 and where we're headed in 2026.” Marino highlighted the Bryan Brothers’ participation as a career moment: “I have to say it was pretty amazing that my first conference featured the Bryan Brothers as headliners, that’s not something I’m going to forget any time soon!... They were a dream to work with. Very professional, and thoughtful about the sessions they were leading, and were up to do whatever we asked of them. They were a big hit with our attendees and we’re very thankful they were able to spend time with us, mere days before Bob coaches the U.S. Davis Cup team to a victory in Hungary, no less.”

Marino framed her top priorities for the Section around coaching and participation. “In addition to enhancing our coaching initiatives, we will continue to develop more fun and innovative playing opportunities for our entire community,” she concluded. “We want more people to discover tennis and all it has to offer, and we want those who already love the sport to continue playing, and to also share that passion. The energy at the conference really excited us about what we can achieve, and how much we can grow in 2026.”

Marino’s background traces back to playing and instructing at 15-LOVE in upstate New York and a long career in regional leadership; an Instagram snippet also noted 15-LOVE alumnus Rumeal Lewis and Marino appearing together onstage. With the Section described in reporting as “perhaps the most complicated of all the Sections that compromise the USTA,” Marino’s coaching-first, collaboration-focused start will be watched closely by clubs across the Eastern Section, including summer and seasonal programs that staff coaches and schedule leagues for 2026.