Team

As a SoCal native, Pam is familiar with the benefits of our mountains, deserts, and—in particular—the benefits of beach recreation and its beneficial effects on health and wellness.

Currently a freelance writer, Pam has worked for Greater Than (music distribution), Americana & blues piano player Victor Wainwright, Ancestry CEO Deb Liu. She has been particularly delighted in recently learning that a longtime client, a professor, also works outside academia as lead singer for a Doors Tribute band!

A former educator, sports coach and teacher trainer, Pamela studied and presented Al Gore’s worldwide environmental education project, the Globe Program. She has presented workshops (UC Riverside) in education, demonstrating how teaching and learning are interrelated and enhanced when using the theories of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.

As secretary of the nonprofit since 2021, Pam has delighted in observing beautification of the Mission Beach neighborhood through cleanups and artwork, and she is excited with the continued interest and growth in beach recreation. Her general goals for the nonprofit are to continue keeping the beaches beautifully pristine while helping grow outdoor beach recreation.

On a more personal level, Pam envisions catering to the growth and awareness of youth in learning about the inland’s environmental impacts on the local beaches while also developing their interests in beach recreation like beach basketball and volleyball. Moreover, she envisions working with the team to create, develop and sustain beach recreation facilities and programs to serve a growing population of coastal residents and athletes—including the region’s youth.

Because such activities require community and collaborative effort, Pamela looks forward to continued growth in relationships with local and regional funders, partners and community volunteers. Admittedly dispirited by our San Diego BIG founder’s decision to step away from presiding over the nonprofit, Pam is confident in learning that Laura will remain active as advisor in the SanDiegoBIG movement that she began nearly 25 years ago.

James is a lifelong entrepreneur who’s made living a priority over making a living. An avid volleyball player, former writer for surf magazines, and traveler. He believes that there should be greater access to volleyball in San Diego and is pushing to achieve the goal of more permanent beach courts.

Laura Hendrickson, founder of San Diego Beach Improvement Group since 2002.

Laura has worked closely with the Beach Volleyball community, Mission Beach Town, Council, Parks and Red in the City of San Diego to develop South Mission Beach Sports Park into what it is today – a haven for beach volleyball players.

With over 55,000 people actively using this facility each year, many note the friendships and enjoyment they get from playing at the courts.

Maintaining these courts through the years has been a blessing. In 2024, she hands the baton to this new group with a rebrand to CROWN San Diego and is excited to be a part of this transition.

Laura brings a wealth of experience, connections, marketing and event planning to support these changes.

Being in the sports industry for 25 years as an athlete, coach, event organizer, and entrepreneur, Anna believes in the power of sports and entertainment to bring people together and create positive impacts in the community. With extensive knowledge in business operations and event management, Anna is willing to leverage her experience to contribute to the growth and development of volleyball in San Diego.

As an athlete, Anna excelled in her chosen discipline, showcasing not only physical prowess but also a deep understanding of the strategic and tactical aspects of the sport. Transitioning to coaching, Anna applied her insights and expertise to mentor and guide aspiring athletes. Her coaching philosophy centered around not only honing athletic skills but also instilling values of discipline, resilience, and fair play. Under her guidance, many athletes achieved significant milestones in their careers.

In the realm of event operations and organization, Anna showcased her proficiency in coordinating and executing successful sports events. Since 2018, she has been an integral part of the steering committee, managing events for world and European dance sport championships, including one of the largest dance sports competitions globally hosting 2500 participants.

In 2015, Anna ventured into entrepreneurship, founding businesses specializing in custom-made apparel for athletes. This strategic move not only added a unique dimension to her professional portfolio but also established crucial partnerships, propelling her company to prominence in the industry.

Alongside her professional experience, Anna holds an MBA in Sports Management from one of the most prestigious sport-related universities, Real Madrid Graduate School. In addition to her master’s degree, she owns two Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and International Finance.

Anna firmly believes that sports have the potential to positively impact individuals’ lives, contributing to physical well-being and fostering a sense of community.

Tee moved to San Diego in November 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and immediately identified it as home forever. He wasted no time on his personal goals of improving at the sport of beach volleyball with only limited experience playing indoor volleyball growing up. However, what he could never foresee happening was the role he would play in the impressive San Diego volleyball community as a tournament organizer and director.

In February of 2021, what started as a groupchat of 10 of the best guys in a social group that he met quickly grew into 80 current and previous professional and collegiate level mens and womens competing in beach 4-man volleyball tournaments by July of 2021. This explosive growth led to an amazing opportunity to be invited by AVP brothers Riley and Maddison McKibbin to help with their 4-man AVP caliber tournament in Austin, Texas in October of 2021.

This momentum led to a sponsorship by Waterbar, a beachfront restaurant in Pacific Beach of San Diego, for a league and 10 tournaments in the spring and summer of 2022.

In 2023, he made it official by starting Finest SD and invested in more equipment for the community and dedicated more time to coming up with better systems to help organize and direct these beach volleyball tournaments and implemented them in 5 local tournaments to include the Big Kahuna Beachfest 4-man tournament that is ran every year by the long standing over 20 year nonprofit organization, San Diego Beach Improvement Group, in October. Shortly after, he was offered by then President, Laura Hendrickson, to take over the nonprofit and he officially became the President in December.

Tee’s main vision is to improve beach volleyball overall in San Diego by continuing to host more frequent tournaments every month, coaching clinics for youth and adults throughout the year, and develop/install more permanent public courts in the near future by having effective communications with the City of San Diego and Parks &Rec and most importantly having the unwavering support from the best San Diego volleyball community!

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