Staff

Senior Leadership

  • Ron Nano

    President and CEO
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    Ron joined the LEGACY team as President and CEO in 2017 and has improved the quality of LEGACY programs and operations, built up necessary infrastructure, forged important partnerships, and increased revenue, which has helped LEGACY to become one of the Nation’s leaders in Tennis and Educational services. Prior to this role, Nano was Executive Director of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project and Co-General Manager of Sportime Randall’s Island/John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York. Additionally, Nano served as Director of Tennis and Senior Director of Operations for New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL) for nearly a decade. While there, he led dynamic tennis and education programs for nearly 75,000 young athletes. In 2015, he oversaw the completion of the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning, NYJTL’s flagship $26.5 million center, and served as the center’s General Manager in its inaugural year. Ron is a University of Michigan Alum, where he played on the Men’s Tennis Team. 

    Email: rnano@legacyyte.org

  • Ivan Sun

    Director of Finance
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    Email: ISun@legacyyte.org

  • Sanjin Kunovac

    Senior Director of Tennis and Business Development
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    Sanjin is one of the premier developmental coaches in the country. As LEGACY’s Director of Tennis, he has coached numerous top sectionally and nationally ranked juniors. Since joining LEGACY in 2011, Sanjin has also served as Director of Player Development, as well as Academy Lead. Sanjin was the creator and driving force behind LEGACY’s collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s tennis team, where Penn players serve as peer-mentors to LEGACY players. Sanjin played college tennis at Florida Southern and served as the men’s assistant coach at Temple University. He is a former player and coach at the IMG Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, where he was coached by and worked alongside some of the most accomplished and renowned tennis coaches in the world.

    Sanjin is certified by the USTA as a High-Performance Coach and holds a Master Certificate from PTR in Professional Performance. He serves on the USTA Middle States Coaches Commission Board and is tremendously passionate about growing and developing youth tennis in Philadelphia and in the Middle States. Additionally, Sanjin is actively involved in the USTA NJTL Excellence Teams, Early Development Camps, Sectional, Regional and Team USA Camps.

    Email: skunovac@legacyyte.org

  • Kat Sorokko

    Senior Director of Operations
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    Kat is the Senior Director of Operation at Legacy. A Queens, NY native, Kat is a product of NJTL programming. She is a graduate of Brown University where she played Division I Tennis, and holds a Master’s in Sports Management from Columbia University. Prior to joining LEGACY, Kat was Director of Player Development/Associate Academy Director of John McEnroe Tennis Academy facility in Syosset, NY.

    Email: ksorokko@legacyyte.org

  • Deborah Waldman

    Director of Human Resources
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    Email: dwaldman@legacyyte.org

  • Scott Battaglia

    Director of Adult Tennis
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    A Wilmington, Delaware native, Scott grew up a highly ranked Middle States and National Tennis Player. Scott holds a Bachelor's Degree in Risk Management and Insurance from Saint Joseph’s University, where he also competed on the Men’s Division I Tennis Team and served as Team Captain his senior year.

    Prior to joining LEGACY, Scott was an Assistant Racquets Professional at Chester Valley Golf Club and Philadelphia Country Club. While Scott is excited to grow our adult program, he is also passionate about LEGACY’s youth, and looks forward to coaching our junior players.

    Email: sbattaglia@legacyyte.org

  • Josh Irving

    Director of Community Programs
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    Raised in the West Philadelphia area, Joshua was first introduced to the game of tennis through NJTL Summer Programming at Connestoga Playground. The following Fall, he further pursued his interest in the sport by enrolling in regular clinics at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center, where he eventually earned a spot on the then "Traveling Team". After graduating from the William Penn Charter School in 1997, he went on to attend Howard University, in Washington D.C., earning a degree in Social - Psychology. Upon returning to the Philadelphia area, Joshua dedicated himself to servicing the inner city community, directly and indirectly counseling hundreds as an Individual and Family Therapist. Joshua now combines his love of tennis and working with youth, both on and off the court as LEGACY’s Associate Director of Community Programs and Site Director for OST Programming.

    Email: jirving@legacyyte.org

  • Christopher Pender

    Associate Director of Community Programs
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    Chris is a native North Philadelphian educated in the Philadelphia Public School system. Chris has been married for 36 years and has four children and 2 grandchildren. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Services from Lincoln University. Chris has been recognized for his continued work and commitment to youth, families and communities while being awarded the NAACP Extraordinary Citizens award and The Chester State Correctional Institute Volunteer Award for his work with the SCI population.


    A few of his greatest accomplishments include writing two books, When Grown Men Play Hide & Seek and Give Me The Ball along with designing curriculums and authoring a Thesis on “The Absentee Dad Through Abandonment, Death, and Incarceration.” Chris is joining LEGACY from After-School All-Stars where he oversaw seven after-school programs and several in-school mentoring programs that serve 400 youth and 45 staff members in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

    Email: cpender@legacyyte.org

  • Crystal Allen

    Director of Education
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    Crystal Allen is an experienced Youth Development professional with a history of working in the non-profit organization industry. Her areas of expertise are Program Management and Evaluation, Case Management and Workshop Facilitation.

    Prior to joining Legacy, Crystal had worked in the child welfare field and as a parent education facilitator, most recently serving as the Director of Family Empowerment and Education Initiatives for a local nonprofit.

    Crystal earned her BS in Rehabilitation Services with a minor in Sociology from The Pennsylvania State University. She holds a MA in Urban Studies with a concentration in Youth Development from Eastern University. In 2018, Crystal received a certificate in Ascending Leadership through the Non-profit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

     

    Email: callen@legacyyte.org

Staff