personal.htm

I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, moving to Glen Ellyn, Illinois when I was three. I attended Catholic elementary and high schools. I spent most of my free time from the age of 12 through college, playing and working at the local Glen Ayre Swim & Tennis Club, where I developed my interest in tennis.
After studying journalism, advertising and magazine publishing at Northern Illinois University and Northwestern, I moved to Chicago in the summer of 1986 and lived in the city for 18 months while I handled the advertising, PR and other communications for a management consulting firm run by Jerry Buccino, whose family I knew from my days at Glen Ayre.
I met tennis guru Dennis Van der Meer while on vacation on Hilton Head Island in 1987 and he offered me a job publishing the US Professional Tennis Registry's coaching magazine. I soon took over his charitable foundation, learning the trade show and sports marketing business. After almost five years of working for a non-profit, I went on my own and developed and staged tennis, golf and volleyball events.
I called a new, local TV station and offered my services as a host for their tennis show, and had the opportunity to learn that business, along with video production.

In the summer of 1997, a family friend recruited me to help start a magazine publishing division for a company with which he worked in Lawrence, Kansas. I got involved in the local tennis scene in Lawrence and became a rabid golfer. During this time, I got together with my brother Dean and my college roommate, Joe Vigneux, and cut a CD of several 60's oldies and some original songs I had written, and learned a little about recording.
After spending two years in Kansas, I was off to Dallas to take on another challenge as a magazine doctor. I was quickly handed the reins of the entire operation not only of the publishing division, but of the company's economic development organization and soon became COO of the company.
It took me approximately one year to turn around that company, and then it was time for a new challenge in Atlanta, where I went to work for a dot-com company (economic development again), which hired me to develop and run their new publishing division.
After turning around two struggling magazines, I started my own company, and have been involved in magazine consulting and association management ever since.

Kindergarten: Churchill School, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Elementary School: St. Petronille, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Class of '75
High School: St. Francis, Wheaton, Ill., Class of '79
Junior College: College of DuPage, AA (earned in one year), Class of '80
Undergraduate: Northern Illinois University, BA (Journalism/Advertising; Minor in English), Class of '83
Graduate School: Northwestern University, MSJ (Journalism/Magazine Publishing), Class of '85

Former tennis-teaching professional (USPTR-certified, Professional rating)
Former life guard (Red Cross Lifesaving and Water Safety Instructor)
Video producer (five special-interest titles covering tennis, golf and kids sports)
TV talk-show host (hosted a live, weekly tennis show on Hilton Head Island's local TV station)
Writer (published in national, regional and local publications; self-published a book for tennis coaches; put out a monthly e-zine for high school tennis coaches; occasionally free lance write)
Founded and currently run the U.S. High School Tennis Association and National Federation of State High School Tennis Associations; executive director of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.

'78-'79 -- Orrie's of Wheaton, Wheaton, Illinois
This was my first taste of the food service industry, where I worked as a busboy, Sunday Brunch buffet manager, dishwasher, etc.
'79-'80 -- Glen Ellyn Racquet Club, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
This was my entrÈe to the tennis industry, where I worked the front desk
'80-'86 -- Glen Ayre Swim & Tennis Club, Wheaton, Illinois
Here, I did a little of everything: front desk for tennis and soccer; pro shop; snack bar; lifeguard; tennis pro; tennis court and soccer court construction.
'81-'83 -- University Plaza, DeKalb, Illinois
Back in food service again, I worked in my dorm's cafeteria, starting as a dishwasher, moving to prep work and carving stations and ending up stocking the serving line.
'86-'87 -- Buccino & Associates, Inc., Chicago
My first job out of grad school, I was the communications director for a management consulting firm
'87-'92 -- US Professional Tennis Registry Foundation, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Took over this struggling foundation and made it a recognized industry entity, acting as publisher of its magazine and coordinator of its annual conference
'92-'97 -- Palmetto Sports Marketing & Communications , HHI, SC
Went on my own for five years, running sporting events, making videos, hosting a TV show and more
'97-'99 -- Knight Enterprises, Ltd., Lawrence, Kansas
Started a magazine publishing division for this association management firm in Lawrence, Kansas, where I was served as executive director of the Kansas Wildlife Federation and served on the board of the Lawrence Tennis Association.
'99-'00 -- Afiniti Communications,Dallas
Hired as a publisher, I soon took over the operations of this struggling economic development organization and publisher in Dallas, Texas, became the COO of the company.
'00-'01 -- XpansionLab, Atlanta
Hired to develop and run the new publishing division of this dot-com business in the economic development field.
Current -- Steve Milano & Associates, LLC, Roswell, GA
Currently involved in association management and magazine management consulting.