Board of Directors
Amy is a real estate attorney who focuses on residential and commercial real estate transactions. In addition to the SRC, Amy also serves on the Board of Directors of Hephzibah Children’s Association. Prior to her current board service, Amy served as a member of the School Board of District 97, a member of board of New Moms (formerly known as the Parenthesis Family Center), a member of the Presidents Leadership Council of the Field Museum of Natural History and as president of the Holmes Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization. Amy and her husband, Thad, are the parents of twin 24-year old sons and they reside in Oak Park, IL. In addition to playing her favorite sport of tennis, Amy also enjoys platform tennis, biking, hiking and skiing.
Mr. Personnet is a retired Customs and Border Protection Officer at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. When not playing tennis, he volunteers his time with many local nonprofit organizations. Dedicated to helping underserved people and communities, Bob brings to SRC his strong work ethic and the ability to connect people and organizations with SRC’s mission.
Bess Celio is the current Chair of the Lumpkin Family Foundation, based in Mattoon, IL. She is also the Chair of Aspiramos Juntos, a donor-advised fund at the Lumpkin Foundation that supports the development of a healthy, sustainable, local food system and opportunities for environmental education for youth in the Chicago region. She was the founding Board Chair of Healthy Schools Campaign and Climate Cycle. Bess has a degree in Art History from DePauw University and Masters in Cultural Anthropology from UIC. She joined the Serve & Return Board of Directors in 2020.
Bess lives in Oak Park, IL with her husband, three daughters and 2 dogs. She enjoys hiking, biking, travel and playing lots of tennis!
Mr. Hurt is currently a Senior Advertising Communications Brand Manager at US Cellular Corporation. He has over 25 years of experience in the advertising and marketing field. An avid tennis player, Jim started when he was 8 and went on to become a ranked junior and also played at the high school and collegiate level. He joined the board of Serve and Return Chicago in 2021. Through tennis Jim was able to learn life lessons, experience new environments, and have life long friends he otherwise might not have had. Jim now hopes to help provide opportunities for kids in underserved communities to learn to play tennis and possibly have those same positive experiences he had as a kid learning to play on the south side of Chicago.
Mr. Leonardo is an investment executive with Monroe Capital, LLC. His longevity and success in the RIA/Family Office, Bank Trust & Wealth Management, and OCIO market are a result of his commitment to developing meaningful relationships to expand business opportunities. With experience in business development, relationship management, and networking, Mr. Leonardo brings a valuable expertise to the Serve & Return Chicago Executive Board.
When he is not working, he enjoys volunteering as room/house parent at his children’s schools and playing tennis, captaining my teams to numerous USTA League National Championships appearances.
Mr. Leonardo joined Serve & Return Chicago in 2025 as he was actively looking to share his passion for tennis and desire to positively impact others— to learn, play and benefit from the game of tennis.
Ms. Pouba joined SRC in 2025, and has taken on a significant leadership role for our Board as Fundraising Chair.
She is a results-driven executive and leadership coach with 25+ years transforming organizations and developing high-performing teams. Ms. Pouba partners with senior leaders to build authentic leadership capabilities, drive strategic change by aligning people, priorities, and processes, and deliver sustainable results and organizational clarity.
She brings to SRC her experience in advising senior leaders and management teams on large-scale initiatives, leadership development, and performance improvement, with a people-centered approach that strengthens culture while delivering measurable outcomes.
Ms. Pouba plays on several USTA teams, and is currently instructing a youth tennis program at Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago.
Sandeep Sood currently serves is a founding member of Nautilus Investments which develops, owns, and manages its commercial real estate assets in Chicago and beyond. He practiced as an attorney in commercial real estate at a Chicago law firm prior to founding Nautilus Investments.
Sandeep’s commitment to SRC is rooted in his belief that tennis is a sport that everyone should have a chance to play regardless of their circumstances. Growing up in a community that lacked tennis resources and under the tutelage of a selfless coach, he was afforded the opportunity to play Division I tennis at DePaul University. He believes more kids should have this life-changing opportunity.
Dr. Chung is currently a managing partner physician and surgeon at ENT Surgical Consultants. He has over 20 years of experience as a surgeon and in healthcare management. Dr. Chung joined the board of Serve & Return Chicago in 2019. He believes that tennis can provide opportunities for Chicago’s children in underserved communities to build friendships, create new experiences, and develop healthy lifestyles.
Jeanne has lived in Oak Park for 37 years where she raised her family and served on the Boards of the Hephzibah Children’s Association, the Infant Welfare Society as well as various Committees within her Church community. She has her own event-planning business, through which she manages all aspects of events for various Chicago-area nonprofits.
Jeanne picked up her tennis racquet when her youngest child started school and is excited to have the opportunity to combine her love of tennis and helping others. She hopes to increase the organization’s awareness throughout the Chicago area through friend and fundraising.
Jeanne and her husband John have four grown children and four grandchildren.
Sponsorship Opportunities for our 2026 Raise a Racquet Event!
Support a meaningful cause and raise visibility for your business by sponsoring the 2026 Raise a Racquet fundraiser! All sponsorship levels include a VIP cocktail…
You are invited to SRC’s Annual “Raise a Racquet” Event!
We are getting geared up for SRC’s annual Raise a Racquet fundraising event! Join us for a spectacular evening with friends at Midtown Athletic Club…