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USA Badminton is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The directors are elected for four year terms.

The Board of Directors represents the interests of USAB’s memberships, the United States Badminton community and Badminton athletes by providing USAB with policy, guidance and strategic direction.

Please reach out to any of our Board Directors at ContactUs@usabadminton.org.

Board meeting minutes can be found here.

Individuals comprising the current Board of Directors are as follows. Click on their image to learn more about them.

Ken Wong

Chair, Independent Director

Philadelphia, Pa.
Term: 2019-2023 (1st)

Amy Burnett

Para Athlete Director, Secretary

Nashville, Tenn.
Term: 2019-2023 (1st)
2019 Para Pan Am Games

Rena Wang, OLY

Athlete Director, USOPC AAC Primary Representative, International Federation Delegate

Arcadia, Calif.
Term: 2021-2024 (2nd)
2012 Olympic Games

Patty Pflaging

Independent Director

San Francisco, Calif.
Term: 2018-2022 (1st)

Fred Teng

Independent Director

New York City, N.Y.
Term: 2020-2024 (1st)

Richard Alcaraz

Para Athlete Director, USOPC AAC Alternate Representative

Arizona
Term: 2021-2024 (1st)
2019 World Para Championships

Dean Schoppe

Athlete Director

Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Term: 2022-2025 (1st)
2009 World Championships

Nibu Paul

Coaching Director

Plano, Texas
Term: 2021-2024 (1st)

Iris Wang, OLY

Athlete Director

Term: 2022-2025 (1st)
2021 World Championships

Pavan Vedere

At-Large Director

San Francisco, Calif.
Term: 2021-2022 (1st)

Tatia Mays-Russell

Independent Director

New York, N.Y.
Term: 2021-2025 (1st)

Philip Varghese

Independent Director, Audit Chair

Dallas, Texas
Term: 2021-2025 (1st)

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Ken Wong

Chair, Independent Director

Ken Wong is a seasoned and experienced executive in running and leading many not for profit organizations. He is also well connected in the sports industry and has a sound track record in obtaining corporate funding and sponsorship in sports. Wong will play an important role in assisting the Board, Nominating and Governance Committees as we address succession planning. Mr. Wong established CIG Asia Ltd., a property & casualty insurance brokerage firm and NavPac Advisors, LLC. Wong’s commitment to full inclusion of Asian Americans and new Americans living, working and doing business in the United States has landed him in numerous leadership positions. He served on the President’s Commission for Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in the White House under President George W. Bush and from 2004-2007, was chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Commission for Asian American Affairs for Pennsylvania 2012-2014 and is a recipient of the U.S. Army Citizen’s Service Award. Currently a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Mr. Wong resides in Philadelphia.

Amy Burnett

Para Athlete Director, Secretary

Amy Burnett is currently a Para Athlete on Team USA’s Para Badminton team and plays in the Wheelchair I Division. She is the first wheelchair athlete on Team USA and has represented the USA in many countries.Her career high, as an athlete, is being selected to represent her country in the 2019 Para Pan Am Games.She is also the Para Badminton Athlete Representative on the USA’s Badminton High Performance Advisory Group (HPAG). Through this volunteer position she is helping ensure that USAB and the United States Olympic Committee decisions and rules are fair and safe for the Para athletes. As the newly appointed Para Athlete Representative Board Member for USAB, she represents the first time USAB has a Para Athlete on the Board. When not playing badminton, Amy volunteers her time to Permobil Inc, Fashion is for Every Body, Empower Tennessee’s Special Event Advisory Committee, United Spinal Association, Challenged Athlete Foundation and the Kelly Brush Foundation.  Demonstrated by her involvement with different organizations, Amy loves giving back to others by talking about living with disability and overcoming adversity.

Rena Wang

Athlete Director, International Federation Delegate

Rena started playing badminton at the age of 11, but with passion and persistence, she quickly developed into an elite player, winning back-to-back singles and doubles titles at the 2008 and 2009 Junior Pan American Championships. She gradually became one of America’s top players, first competing on the National team and in 2012, becoming the youngest U.S. badminton player to compete at the Olympics. Since then, Rena has dedicated time towards adaptive badminton and community outreach programs through SCOPE and Ready Set Gold. Currently, she is pursuing a masters in public health and interested in applying her MPH training to improve athlete policy and rights. As your new USOC AAC Rep, she plans to serve the best interests of players and aims to promote inclusion and equity within the sport.

Patty Pflaging

Independent Director

Patty Pflaging is a technology marketing and business development executive from the San Francisco Bay Area. A native of Texas, Patty holds degrees in computer science and managerial studies from Rice University. She and her husband have three children, one of whom plays competitive badminton.

Fred Teng

Independent Director

Fred Teng is the current President of the America China Public Affairs Institute, an independent nonpartisan U.S. based nonprofit organization. He also serves as the Senior U.S. Representative of the China-United States Exchange Foundation. Fred is an Executive Council Member of the Center for China and Globalization, as well as a visiting Professor at the Sichuan University. He was the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the New York State Governor’s Award for Community Leadership. Fred was named by PR Week as one of the top professionals in the Asian American public relations industry. 

Dean Schoppe

At-Large Director

Dean Schoppe has been a player, coach, tournament director, teacher and badminton enthusiast for the past 50 years. He has conducted hundreds of badminton camps and clinics throughout the U.S. He currently serves on the Rules Advisory Committee and the Court Official and Sponsor Committees of the California Community College Athletic Association. Schoppe is also an adjunct faculty member in the kinesiology department at California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he teaches badminton to undergraduate students. Schoppe is also the author of “Badminton for Physical Education and Beyond.” He has previously served USAB as the junior development chair and as the U.S. representative and treasurer for the Badminton Pan Am Confederation (BPAC). The 1993 recipient of the Ken Davidson sportsmanship award, Schoppe has competed in the U.S. Thomas Cup, World Championships and Pan American Championships. Schoppe is an honorary life member of the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club and the president of HL Badminton.

Nibu Paul

Coaching Director, Audit Chair

Nibu Paul is a certified HP-1 coach who has served as a coach for more than 15 years, serving multiple badminton gyms in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Currently, Paul is a Technology Manager at a large financial institution in Plano, Texas, where he oversees more than 15 developers on multiple technology platforms.

Pavan Vedere
Independent Director

Pavan Vedere is a Software Director from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has two-plus decades of sports administration experience. Vedere is the President of Indus Cricket Club, which he helped transform from a recreational club to a sought-after club for aspiring junior cricketers, many of whom have made it to the regional and USA National U19 teams. He has decades of experience working with local cities and school districts to develop sports infrastructure. As the City of Fremont Recreation Commission chair, Vedere was instrumental in developing multiple sports facilities and parks, including a skate park, water park, batting cages, and the country’s first lighted Astroturf cricket field. Vedere has been volunteering for USAB for many years in various roles: Umpire, club parent representative, Junior Advisory Group representative, Junior Review Panel member, Regional Director and was the recipient of USAB’s Debbie Brown volunteer award. Vedere enjoys playing badminton in local clubs, and his two children play in USAB junior tournaments.

Tatia Mays-Russell

Independent Director

Tatia Mays-Russell (New York, NY) is the current Chief Financial Officer of the Major League Baseball Players Association where she provides financial stewardship, leadership, and vision and is responsible for developing, monitoring, and evaluating the overall financial strategy of the Association. Mays-Russell has previously held positions with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, as Deputy Chief, Strategic Initiatives, the National Lacrosse League as Chief Financial Officer, and the NBA as Senior Director, WNBA League Business & Financial Operations, with responsibility for budgeting and forecasting, reporting, strategic planning, deal analysis and partnership negotiations. Mays-Russell holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Materials Science Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Operations from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mays-Russell is also involved in many volunteer activities including Board Member of Studio in a School and the President’s Council of Cornell Women.

Philip Varghese

Independent Director

Philip Varghese is the current Compliance Auditor for Dallas County, Texas, in the Auditor’s office. He has previously served as the Assistant Finance Director for the Texas cities of Duncanville and Big Spring and as the Senior Accountant for Lubbock. Varghese previously worked internationally as Senior Accounting Supervisor at Michael Hepburn & Company and Auditor at Arthur Young. He started his career at Deloitte Haskins and Sells asan Auditor (ArticledClerk) for the Chartered Accountancy (C.A.) program with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Varghese holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mumbai and a C.A. (MBA) from the ICAI. He is certified as a Public Accountant (CPA) in Texas, Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Government Finance Officer (CGFO) in Texas. Varghese was a badminton player until sidelined by an injury.