staff & board
our staff
Didier “DJ” Rouzeau
(he/him)
Executive Director
DJ is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit, private school, and public sectors. Most recently he was the Chief Program Officer for the New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL), a tennis-based organization that provides comprehensive after school programming in NYC. He was also the Executive Director of Kids Creative where he worked with underserved communities in NYC by supporting school partners through educational, arts based, and recreational after school programs.
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Fun Fact:
David Kimani
(he/him)
Associate Executive Director
A native of Kenya, David began playing tennis at the age of 13 years. He was #1 at the University of Nairobi, Kenya from 1989-1992 and a singles finalist at the East African University games in 1992. He was a tour coach and manager of the Junior ITF (International Tennis Federation) Africa team that competed in South Africa, Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe from 1994 to 1997. David earned a master’s degree in Sports management and Physical Education from Springfield College in Massachusetts in 2000. He is a PTR Certified teaching Professional. David has been with Grassroots since the year 2000. He is married and has 3 children who love tennis.
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Fun Fact: David enjoys eating halal goat meat
Skyler Metviner
(she/her)
Senior Manager of Education
Skyler is an educator with a passion for creativity and classroom inclusivity. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education in Literacy from Pace University. She previously was a classroom teacher in the Danbury Public School system and at Eagle Hill School in Greenwich. Her hobbies include writing, painting, doing puzzles, playing board games, and spending time with her family, including her two dogs. .
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Fun fact: Skyler can touch her tongue to her nose.
Antonio "TC" Passarelle
(he/him)
Manager of Tennis Operations
Coach TC is from Norwalk, born and raised. He started in the Norwalk Grassroots Tennis program in 1996 and hasn't stopped playing tennis ever since. He’s been a certified Teaching Pro Since 2010, and worked at tennis clubs such as New Canaan Racquet Club, Woodway Country Club of Darien and Chelsea Piers. TC is also the coach of the Brian Mcmahon High School Varsity Boys tennis team for the last three years. He has been an active member of the awesome Grassroots staff since 2021.
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Fun Fact: TC has portable index fingers!
Anaelle Benjamin
(she/her)
Office and Programming Associate
Anaelle is an Alum of Grassroots and started playing tennis with GTE at the age of 10. She has now graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelors of the Arts in Psychological Sciences with a minor in Sociology. She has previous work experience with the program as she worked as a JTT Coach during her high school years and worked as a Summer Camp Counselor for two summers during her college years. Anaelle has always appreciated what GTE stands for and the wonderful environment of the program. In her spare time, she loves spending time with herself, whether it is to run errands, have a relaxing day reading or watching her favorite shows, or staying active. Anaelle loves to use that time to focus on herself.
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Fun Fact: Anaelle can pogo stick with no hands.
Nita Sabo
(she/her)
Development Officer
Nita has worked in marketing, sales and public relations helping to grow companies in business development. Along the way she has been very involved in fundraising since high school raising money, running PTA’s, major gala’s, volunteers and events to help nonprofits grow. Taking her business development, she is helping Grassroots with the fundraising and development. She has played tennis since childhood and realizes the importance of sports & education for growth and empowerment. Nita has a BS degree from Boston College Carroll School of Management, is married and enjoys entertaining, book clubs, her family and dog.
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Luis Gonzalez
(he/him)
Tennis Coach,
Stamford Coordinator.
Luis is an Alum of Grassroots and started playing tennis around the age of 6. While in the program. Luis Graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Manhattanville college where he also played tennis. While playing college tennis, he played in conference championships, winning one and appearing in the NCAA tournament. Luis also enjjoys horror movies and all things halloween. Luis would love to show photos of his three cats to anyone who asks (or will offer to without any reason).
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Fun Fact: Luis is an Artist
Megan Zboray
(she/her)
Grant Writer
Megan is so excited to be part of the Grassroots Team! She has worked in the non-profit sector for more than ten years and holds a Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Fairfield University. Megan brings more than three years of proposal and grant writing experience to Grassroots. Additionally, Megan has worked in public relations, film/television, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from The Catholic University of America. She is also a former swim coach and teacher as well as a performer. In her spare time, Megan enjoys writing, singing, yoga, swimming, volunteering for causes she believes in and spending time with her nephews.
Fun Fact: Megan was in the chorus of an opera.
Quote: “You can’t climb uphill, thinking downhill thoughts.”
Carl Brodnax
Tennis Coach
“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”
- Arthur Ashe
Willie Brooks
Tennis Coach
“Start each day with a grateful heart.”
Ben Goldblatt
Tennis Coach
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"As a Tennis player, you have to get used to losing every week. Unless you win the tournament, you always go home a loser. But you have to take the positive out of a defeat and go back to work. Improve to fail better."
- Stan Wawrinka
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Erickah Tertulian
Tennis Coach
“Life waits for no one."
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Jonathyn Young
Marketing Coordinator
“Experience should be a plus as long as it doesn't become complacency. If you say, 'We're not going to change; we didn't do it that way before,' then you've become too old.
- Marv Levy
Board of directors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Phillip Rehg, Co-Chair
Carrie Myers, Co-Chair
Jan Alafriz, Vice-Chair
Greg McCall, Treasurer
Wendy Mendes, Secretary
Michael Crafter
Rachel Greenspon
Michelle Mauboussin 
Dimitri Mezidor
Fatou Niang
Edward Stowe
Maarten Eenkema van Dijk
advisory board
Roy Anderson, Chair
Sean Cahill
Chris Caldwell
Wally Cook
Jay Dulberg
Ed Fogarty
Rich Freeman
Mike Frost
Peter Gogolak
John Hammill
Meredith Hammill
Joseph Holmes
Alex Knopp
Bill Macey
Sharon Macey
Mark Magnusen
Mark McEnroe
Catherine Osterhout
Caron Palder
Faycal Rhazali
John Schmidt
Harlan Stone
Kurt Vogt
Audrey Weil
Ed Weiss
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Arthur Goldblatt
Founder, In Memoriam