Contact Us
Chris Horne
Ariel Shakeshaft
Marc Detraz
Lisa Berg
Dorothy Caputo
Julio Montoya
Natalie Gangemi
Tennis Professionals
Aquatics Staff
Board of Directors
Chris Horne : General Manager
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Email: chorne@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-5522 x113 Let me welcome you to the Rafael Racquet and Swim Club. A beautiful piece of paradise tucked away in one of the most scenic vista points in Marin County. Play tennis and swim with a backdrop of Mt. Tam and the East Bay Hills surrounding you. As a member of the club, you become part of a close knit family of friends who share a passion for recreation and fun. My management philosophy is simple: “Provide the highest level of customer service, continue to find ways to add value to the membership, maintain a clean and fully operational facility and always be a good listener with an open door policy”. If there is anything I can do to enhance your experience at the Rafael Racquet and Swim Club, please don’t hesitate to contact me. |
Ariel Shakeshaft : Assistant Manager
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Email: ashakeshaft@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-5522 x120 Ariel has been a member of the RRC family since joining the Marlins Swim Team in 1991. After graduating from San Rafael High School, she attended Cal Poly, SLO as an Economics student. At Cal Poly, Ariel spent her time studying, enjoying the "SLO" life, and participating in triathlons. Ariel spent summers lifeguarding and teaching swimming at RRC. After graduating from Cal Poly, Ariel was offered a summer job at RRC staffing the lifeguards. This job materialized after that summer into many other jobs at the club, and today she enjoys her spot as Assistant Manager. Ariel enjoys spending time with the great families who make up the club, as well as being a part of a healthy and active profession. |
Marc Detraz : Aquatics Director
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Email: aquatics@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-1153 Originally from the French Alps, Marc began swimming competitively for a summer league team at the age of 9. At 15, he began swimming year-round when he was recruited to swim in the regional training center with national and international level athletes and was coached by Marc Begotti. As a swimmer Marc specialized in sprint freestyle events, but developed an affinity for open water swims and eventually for triathlons. At Grenoble University, Marc swam competitively for three years while studying Physical Education. Marc was a Physical Education instructor during his French military service before moving to Mill Valley in 1991. He spent a few year teaching swimming at the Marin JCC with Jeff Kamler and got his first local coaching job with the Rolling Hills Stingrays, a Marin Swim League team. Marc began coaching the Marlins in 1994, when the team belonged to the Marin Swim League. With the help of Coach Sonia Nimtz, he quickly turned the team around by focusing primarily on technique. In July 2000, Marc received the Marin Swim League's Coach of the Year Award and redesigned the Rafael Racquet Club Marlins to a year-round United States Swimming program. Now called the Pacific Coast Marlins, the team continues to succeed under Marc's dedication and coaching philosophy. |
Lisa Berg : Tennis Director
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Email: tennis@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-1837 Lisa was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and began playing tennis at the age of 8, just a tad bit taller than the net. She was lucky enough to be a part of a small group of kids that was coached by Don Holden, AKA Mister. He learned the game by reading books and watching tapes and in just 4 years Lisa was ranked #2 in singles and #1 in doubles nationally. She loved the game as well as travelling around to the tournaments and meeting new people throughout the country. Lisa went on to play college tennis at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. Four years as a Cowboy was a lot of fun and the team aspect was a nice change from the individuality of the sport. Lisa was selected Most Outstanding Female Athlete at OSU her senior year. Lisa taught tennis at several tennis clubs in Tulsa in the 70’s and her first big job was that of coaching the women’s team at Oral Roberts University. She then left Tulsa and ventured off to paradise, Hawaii. She spent 3 years on the Big Island of Hawaii (in Hilo) and coached the “locals” and learned from Mister how to coach top ranked kids. Next was Maui, where Lisa got the job offer of a lifetime. Teaching tennis at the Hyatt Regency in Kaanapali, 50 yards from the beach. Lisa continued training the local kids, but also taught some exciting hotel guests (Bill Cosby, Chevy Chase, Sally Field, Gladys Knight, and many more). Her favorite student though was a runner from California, named Ron. After 3 years of commuting back and forth from Marin to Maui, Lisa finally moved here and she and Ron were married in 1989. Lisa began her career at RRC in September 1989 and is still thrilled to be here 18 years later. Having coached several thousand kids and adults, Lisa still “loves what she does.” Rafael Racquet & Swim Club is like a second home to Lisa (she spends more time here than at home it seems) and she is thrilled to have both of her kids, Conor (16) and Hadley (11) playing at the club. Lisa is very devoted to the game of tennis as she is a member of the Wilson Advisory Staff, serves on the USTA Norcal Junior Tennis Council and most recently was inducted into the Oklahoma District Tennis Hall of Fame. |
Dorothy Caputo : Office Manager
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Email: office@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-5522, x114 Dorothy Caputo is the office manager at RRC as well as our in-house historian. Having been in the RRC office for twenty years, Dorothy has seen a lot of changes over the years. She has enjoyed meeting the hundreds of new families that have flooded our offices; so many different personalities, coming from many places and walks of life. She enjoys watching the young families grow (in number and age!), and in many cases meeting the children all grown up with their own family. Dorothy has fond memories of over 20 years of RRC summers, weekend tennis and swim meets. She muses that the club is in a state of constant growth and change, and yet its heart remains the same; a home away from home for our families. With today’s busy schedules, Dorothy is heartened by the presence of our members as they make RRC their choice to recreate and relax as a family and as individuals. Dorothy admits that one of the perks of her job is the view. She enjoys breathtaking views of surrounding Marin hillsides and Mt. Tam as she works through her day. |
Julio Montoya : Superintendent
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Email: jmontoya@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-5522, x 121 Julio has been a fixture at the RRC since 1998, working his way up from maintenance person to Superintendent. Julio hails from El Salvador, one sibling in a family of seven. He emigrated to the United States in 1990 with a few members of his family, and settled in Oakland. Far away from the comforts of his family's small farm in rural El Salvador, Julio began learning English and the American way of life. In the summer of 2007, Julio was married, and is thrilled to be living with his wonderful wife. While he dreams of one day returning to El Salvador, Julio is currently content working at the RRC. He enjoys working outdoors and the wide scope of his daily routine. |
Natalie Gangemi
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Email: nattygan@gmail.com
Phone: 456-5522 Natalie has been hired to spear head the new Summer Camp Program at RRC. Natalie has a degree in Human Kinetics with and emphasis in Sports Management from the University of British Columbia. She has been the director of camps at Kirkwood and Whistler, BC. Natalie brings great enthusiam, high energy and fun to the program. |
Tennis Professionals
Tennis Staff
Aquatics Staff
Aquatics Staff
Board of Directors
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Email: BOD@rafaelracquetclub.com
Phone: 415-456-5522, x122 President: John Myers (Aquatics) Vice President: John Arens Treasurer: Charlie Stuart Secretary: Laura Kromhout (Tennis) Communications: Jeff Hopkins |