Mark McIntyre, Longtime Leader Of UWS Clay Courts, Stepping Down

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The late David Dinkins was mayor of New York City when Mark McIntyre first started volunteering in 1991 at the public red clay tennis courts in Riverside Park near 96th Street.

McIntyre was named the Executive Director of the Riverside Clay Tennis Association (RCTA) some five years later, a position that he has held from his parks office and station outside the clay courts for the past 25 years.

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During his leadership, McIntyre helped transition the courts from a space in dire need of consistent maintenance to one of the premier tennis destinations in New York City.

It is still the lone public clay courts in the five boroughs.

The RCTA now has over 900 members and raises more than $600,000 each year to fulfill its mission, according to its website.

Stepping into the position is Tim Heath, who has served as the Associate Director under McIntyre for the past four years.

Heath has long been a frequent player at the clay courts and is also the past president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) -Eastern.

“Leaving the RCTA’s helm after 25 years was not an easy decision, however, knowing it will be Tim’s hands on the wheel makes it a lot easier," McIntyre said in a news release. "I have known and worked with Tim at the USTA and the RCTA for many years. I am thrilled to turn things over to someone so capable and dedicated to public service.”

McIntrye will be taking a new job as Executive Director of the Junior Tennis Foundation, which supports tennis programs that serve economically disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities — but he will stay on at the RCTA to provide in-office support.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mark McIntyre for his years of service, and are looking forward to working with him in his new role," Heath said in the news release. “It is with high esteem and great passion that I look forward to leading the organization moving forward.