With relocation inevitably comes staff changes. And US Squash will be no different when the Association makes it’s permanent home in New York. For the past six years, Jeanie Shanahan has been the voice behind the voice mail at US Squash. Press “zero” and you are warmly greeted by the always-chipper office assistant who has helped US Squash run 40-50 national championships since 2001.
Shanahan is the younger sister of Anne Farrell, former office manager at US Squash dating back to the days of Darwin Kingsley (and is now working for Clark School for hearing impaired pre-schoolers in the Philadelphia area), and a brother living in California. Shanahan has been the ever-present positive influence through the transitions from Craig Brand, to Mike Hymer, to Palmer Page, and finally to Kevin Klipstein two years ago.
Before coming to US Squash, Shanahan worked part-time for a CPA in Philadelphia and for her husband’s trucking business prior to that. When asked what she sees as the biggest changes at US Squash since arriving, she simply states: “RailStation. I believe it’s opened the door to a wider field of participation. People can sign themselves up for membership, see an updated schedule of events, and soon we hope to allow tournament directors to sanction their events themselves online.”
And that doesn’t even address the old database system. “It was still a DOS system,” recalls Shanahan. “Now the system we’re using is capable of doing what was hoped for, including keeping updated email addresses so that we can send out email newsletters. It has made it possible for US Squash members to feel like they are a part of something.”
When asked about memorable things, Shanahan replied in her positive way, “Working for each person that I have been associated with. Everyone came in with ideas individually that have all come together to become one good thing. You may not have liked everything as it happened, but now RailStation has become a system that makes the membership feel more included.”
On June 29, US Squash will be leaving behind a woman who will be sorely missed as the office moves to midtown Manhattan, just south of Times Square. As for her future, “I will be joining Steve Gregg at SquashSmarts here in Philadelphia which I’m really looking forward to. But I also have five children, three grandchildren, and two more on the way. I’m going to spend some time with my daughter in Greenwich, CT, when her baby arrives. So I’ll probably make my way into the new office to check it out then.”
