Tim Wyant– Executive Director
Tim co-founded SEA in 2005 and became Executive Director in 2012. Under Tim’s leadership, SEA’s membership has grown from 12 to 22 programs in the United States and five affiliate organizations abroad, with combined enrollment exceeding 3,000 students. Previously, Tim was the founding executive director of CitySquash, the country’s fourth squash and education program, which operates in the Bronx. Tim earned a B.A. at Harvard University, where he played varsity soccer and was an All-American on the squash team. Tim later competed on the professional squash tour, was a member of the U.S. men’s national team, and served as a board member of US Squash. A native of Cincinnati, Tim resides in New York City.

Jess Davis – Director of Analytics
Jess manages data analysis and oversees SEA’s network-wide database. A native of Manchester, England, Jess completed a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania, where she captained the varsity squash team, was a first-team All-American, two-time All-Ivy selection, and earned an M.P.H. from Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. Jess worked on various research projects while at Penn, partnering with the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center, Independence Blue Cross, the Mixed Methods Research Lab, and faculty members in Penn Nursing and the M.P.H program.

Joetta Francis – Director of Squash Events
Joetta supports the organization and implementation of SEA’s squash tournaments, regional leagues, High Performance Team squads, and the Summer Academy. Prior to joining SEA in 2022, Joetta was Manager of Tournament Support Services at US Squash, where she was responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with parents, coaches, and tournament directors. Joetta was introduced to squash in 2011 as a participant of Harlem’s StreetSquash, one of SEA’s founding member programs. Joetta earned a B.A. from Purchase College, SUNY, where she was the captain of the women’s varsity volleyball team, and worked as an assistant teacher at St. Charles Borromeo’s elementary school before beginning her work in squash.

Heidi Li – Accounting and Operations Manager
Heidi serves as SEA’s Accounting and Operations Manager, overseeing daily accounting and bookkeeping activities, financial planning, and operational efficiency. A graduate of the College of Staten Island, Heidi earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting with a Minor in Finance. She went on to work as an Accountant for 16 years, gaining extensive experience in nonprofit accounting, grant compliance, and financial reporting. Skilled in payroll, grant reporting, and systems management, Heidi brings a well-rounded and hands-on approach to financial management that ensures SEA’s financial health and supports the organization’s mission of empowering youth through education and athletics.

Sarah McConnell – Chief Program Officer
Sarah oversees all of SEA’s squash, academic, and alumni programs and the SEA program team. Sarah has spent her career in the education, nonprofit, and foundation worlds, primarily focused on college access and success. Before joining SEA, she spent 16 years in administration and program management at the City University of New York, most recently as the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for K-16 Initiatives. At CUNY, Sarah led and supported a broad portfolio of programs that focus on college readiness, high school-to-college transition, and academic success of young people in New York City. She led CUNY Explorers, the largest college visit program for middle school students in the country, serving 70,000 students each year on 16 campuses. Before CUNY, Sarah worked at the New York-Historical Society and I Have a Dream Foundation, and helped found an elementary school in her native Chicago. Sarah earned a B.A. at Oberlin College and a Masters in Education from Harvard University.

Manuela Perez – Director of Postsecondary Pathways
Manuela oversees SEA’s college placement and career readiness efforts, collaborating with staff from across the network to identify and promote best practices and help prepare students for successful postsecondary experiences and careers. Manuela is a CitySquash alumna and graduate of Barnard College, where she earned a B.A. in Economics and Africana Studies. She’s maintained her connection to SEA and CitySquash as a volunteer, mentor, and junior board member.

Paulina Rojek – Director of Events
Paulina oversees and manages events for SEA and serves as a liaison to the Board of Directors. Prior to becoming the Director of Events, Paulina spent three years as the Director of Squash Events overseeing and managing squash programming. Prior to joining SEA in 2022, Paulina was the Tennis Manager at The West Side Tennis Club, where she was responsible for coordination of tennis programs, events, and member activities. Paulina has managed tournaments for New York Squash for several years and previously supported the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions and US Open Squash Championships. Paulina completed her B.A. at Mount Holyoke College, where she competed on the varsity squash team, and earned her M.S. from New York University.

Advisors

Derek Aguirre
Derek holds various consultative and leadership roles with SEA programs and other non-profit organizations. He served as President and CEO of Racquet Up Detroit for nearly 16 years.  Drawing inspiration from six years on staff at SquashBusters, Derek helped bring the youth program model to Detroit with the launch of Racquet Up in 2010. During his tenure, Racquet Up constructed its own dedicated education and youth development center, built a substantial endowment, and grew to serve more than 250 young people annually. Derek graduated from University of Michigan and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Susan Jang
Susan oversees SEA’s summer school program, working with boarding schools and colleges throughout the country to place over 80 students throughout the network at summer schools. Susan also helps with developing partnerships with international programs, and supports several development initiatives. Prior to SEA, Susan was an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University (where she played field hockey and lacrosse), and an M.A. and PhD in cognitive science from Columbia University. 

David Kay
From 2005-2023, David was the CEO of Chicago’s MetroSquash and grew the program from inception to serving over 400 students each year.  In 2015, David successfully completed an $8 million capital campaign and construction of the Hussain Family MetroSquash Center on Chicago’s South Side. In 2018, David led the program’s expansion to Evanston and in 2023 the land purchase for a future facility. David holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Kellogg and a B.A. from Princeton University where he was a member of the 1993 NCAA Championship Team and 1995 NCAA Doubles Champion. David previously competed on the Professional Squash Doubles Tour where he attained a top 5 world ranking.

George Polsky
George Polsky is a co-founder of SEA. He founded and served as the Executive Director of StreetSquash from 1999 to 2024. During this time, StreetSquash grew from a small non-profit in Harlem to where it is today – a major NYC youth organization serving hundreds of children and families each year. In 2008, George led a $11m capital campaign to build the SL Green StreetSquash Center, which has served as the organization’s home for the past 18 years. George is a graduate of Harvard, where he was a co-captain of the 3-time national champion varsity squash team and earned All-Ivy and All-American titles.  He earned an MSW from the NYU School of Social Work and is a certified social worker in the state of New York.

Greg Zaff
After graduating from Williams College, where he played varsity tennis and squash, Greg spent his twenties competing on the pro squash tour, reaching a career high #2 ranking. A calling to public service brought him to Harvard’s Kennedy School, where his paper ‘Bringing Squash Down from its Ivory Tower’ was the blueprint for SquashBusters, the first and oldest organization in the SEA network. Greg launched SquashBusters in 1996 with a budget of $45,000 and 28 students. SquashBusters’ early success led to the start of similar programs in Harlem, Philadelphia, and the Bronx, and in 2005 Greg convened the leaders of those organizations to co-found SEA (then NUSEA). Greg served as SEA’s Executive Director from 2007 to 2011 before returning to SquashBusters as its CEO in 2012. During his tenure, SquashBusters expanded to three cities and came to serve more than 400 students annually, enabled by a $4 million operating budget. Greg also successfully led three capital campaigns, totaling $25 million, to construct youth centers in Boston, Providence, and Lawrence, MA.