While the McNulty family has served tennis for decades, its service will rise to new heights as Mike McNulty was elected as USTA Chairman of the Board and President for the 2021-22 term.
The influence of the McNulty family in Southern tennis is reflected in the fact that the USTA Southern Family of the Year award is named for Mickey McNulty, his father. The family, whose roots go back to Lake Charles, La., has been instrumental in promoting tennis from the local, state, sectional and national levels.
Mickey was the USTA Louisiana President and influenced Mike to get involved in volunteering. Mike remembered his dad saying, “‘I think you can make a difference. You will make friends for a lifetime.’ Well, truer words have never been said. I’m so glad I followed his advice and got involved.”
Mike said, “In the early 80s, Bill Phillips (USTA Southern Tennis Service Representative, Louisiana) helped us get the Lake Area Community Tennis Association organized.”
Serving was also instrumental for the father and son duo, who won the Louisiana Father/Son title. Mike remembers that tournament fondly. “It was played in Jeanerette, about a mile from a sugar refinery that was a tournament sponsor. As winners, we didn’t receive a trophy. We received a pound bag of sugar. I kept it on my desk for years, a fond memory of that victory. One day,15 years later, I went into my office and the bag was surrounded by ants. That was the end of that bag!”
McNulty was a longtime volunteer with USTA Louisiana, where he served as President. He is a member of the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame and recipient of the President’s Award. His family is the recipient of the USTA Louisiana Mickey McNulty Family of the Year Award. He is the founder of the Lake Area Community Tennis Association.
McNulty has a long history of volunteerism at USTA Southern. He served as President, Executive Vice President, Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of USTA Southern and as Section Delegate to the USTA. He served three consecutive terms as Chair of the Constitution and Rules Committee, Chair of the Nominating Committee and Board Liaison to multiple committees.
He is the 2012 recipient of the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl, the most prestigious volunteer service award given by the Section. Mickey also received the award in 2001. The younger McNulty was honored with the Charlie B. Morris Service Award in 2015; and the President’s Award. He served as Chair of the Southern Tennis Foundation. He is former Tournament Chairman of the Truist Atlanta Open, a US Open Series tournament, and served multiple terms on the Tournament Steering Committee.
2016 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Rex Maynard said, “Mike is a great friend, and even a greater person and USTA volunteer, and I’m excited to have him join us in the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame. He knows tennis at every level … from his days in Lake Charles, to his work and leadership in Louisiana, followed by his many accomplishments at Southern, and now his work and contributions at the national level. When we were struggling financially during the early years of the Truist Atlanta Open pro tournament, he spearheaded to move to Atlantic Station, which was the key to attracting more sponsors and exposure. That turned the tournament around from a fan and financial standpoint. No question, he’s the right guy at the right time to become the USTA President, and he makes all of us in the Southern Section proud!”
On the national level, he began serving his first two-year term as First Vice President of the USTA and his third consecutive two-year term on the USTA Board of Directors in January 2019. He has served as chair of the Strategic and Creative Planning Committee and as Board Liaison to the Adult Tennis Leadership Council. He has also been a member of the Budget Committee, International Tennis Committee and the ITF Constitution Committee. In addition, he served two consecutive terms on the Nominating Committee and the Constitution and Rules Committee, where he was Vice Chair, and was Council Chair to Tennis Rules and Regulations and the Advisory Group on Committees.
In anticipation of being elected to the USTA helm, McNulty spoke about his plans for the upcoming USTA term. “Parks and rec is going to my focus. Seventy percent of tennis is played in the parks and we need to maximize their impact. We need to deliver great programing in an area where tennis participation can grow. You have to provide a great customer service in this area. Our Net Generation kids will go from learning tennis in the schools to playing in parks.” He also highlighted the need to further the mission of Tennis Industry United and continue to reach out to the entire tennis community.
McNulty was a partner with the law firm of Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC. He has subsequently taken Of Counsel status and is considered one of America’s top attorneys in insurance defense with specialties in construction and products liability. He served as Delegate to the Louisiana Bar Association, Director to the Louisiana Association of Defense Council and President of the St. Mary Parish Bar Association. He is a certified mediator and arbitrator. He has been named to the Best Lawyers in America-Insurance Law and Personal Injury and Best Lawyers in Louisiana.
McNulty and his wife, Mary, reside in New Orleans.
Highlights
- Elected as USTA First Vice President for the 2019-20 term.
- Elected as USTA Southern President in 2011. Also served as Southern Tennis Foundation Chair and as Section Delegate to the USTA.
- Served as USTA Louisiana President.
- Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame.
- Chaired the Truist Atlanta Open Tournament Committee (called the BB&T Atlanta Open at that time).
- Honored with the following USTA Southern awards: Jacobs Bowl, the Charlie B. Morris Service Award and the President’s Award.
- His family is the recipient of the USTA Louisiana Mickey McNulty Family of the Year Award.
- Winner of the Louisiana Father/Son Championship with his father, Mickey.
- Named to the Best Lawyers in America-Insurance Law and Personal Injury and Best Lawyers in Louisiana.
