Dan Faber has been named Executive Director of USTA Serves, the national charitable foundation of the USTA. In this role, Faber will be dedicated to increasing the outreach of the 19-year-old foundation and continuing its mission of changing lives through tennis and education.
"I am proud to welcome Dan Faber to the national USTA family and applaud his successful track record and endless commitment to integrating tennis and education," said Gordon Smith, USTA Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. "Dan not only brings an incredible level of expertise in helping youth benefit from an involvement in our sport but also a profound skill in the ability to procure the necessary funding to continuously maximize that effort. It’s evident that his diligence and commitment to the philanthropic sector will be integral to upholding USTA Serves’ mission and to taking its good work to a new and exciting level."
Faber brings 13 years of experience working in the tennis and education field, integrating the two sectors to achieve a multitude of successes in the areas of fundraising, programming and strategic planning. Most recently, Faber served as the Executive Director of NJTL of Trenton in Trenton, N.J. The organization is one of hundreds of chapters affiliated with the USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network.
Faber took over as the head of the NJTL of Trenton in 2005, leading a full-time and part-time staff including numerous volunteers to fulfill the organization’s mission of providing opportunities and instruction in nutrition, education and tennis to more than 2,500 low-income students from and around the Trenton area. Throughout his leadership, Faber has successfully raised awareness and revenue for the organization by developing mission-driven programs and advocating for public and private support. Through strategic partnerships, social media and marketing plans, he also was able to increase community awareness of the organization’s work and achievements.
One of Faber’s greatest accomplishments was increasing NJTL of Trenton’s revenue by more than 100 percent to more than $1 million. Through grant writing, campaigns, special events, service contracts and planned gifts, he diversified the organization’s revenue to help create a sustainable structure. In addition, Faber effectively managed an $800,000 tennis park project funded by public and private contributions and facilitated the development of the organization’s first $500,000 endowment.
Another one of Faber’s most outstanding achievements was developing the Academic Creative Engagement (ACE) curriculum, a quality tennis-themed academic curriculum. The USTA acquired all rights to the ACE curriculum in 2012, ensuring its lasting impact in the years to come, and it is now available to all NJTL chapters throughout the country.
Faber first joined the NJTL of Trenton in 2000 as the Director of Program and Development, where he developed and implemented tennis and education programs. In addition, through various funding streams, he helped to increase the organization’s revenue by 40 percent each year. During that time, he also worked in the Council Rock School District in Bucks County, Pa., teaching math and language arts to sixth graders, and subsequently as a math and technology specialist within the district, where he developed and implemented elementary math and technology curriculums.
Faber has been closely aligned with the USTA since 2002. He is currently a member of the USTA National Committee for Advocacy and Public Affairs and supports national staff in growing the sport of tennis at the local, state and federal levels through various programs, all while serving his second term as a board member for USTA Middle States. In addition, he was appointed chair of the Nonprofit Council for Mid New Jersey Chamber of Commerce in 2012 and is also a board member for First Tee of Greater Trenton.
In 1989, Faber received a bachelor’s degree in education and history from Albion College. In 2005, he received his master’s degree from Rider University, where he studied education leadership.
Faber and his wife Jennifer live in Pennington, N.J., with their 12-year-old daughter, Sydney.