Brandon Burke, a six-time national Jamaica Davis Cup tennis player and currently a lawyer, has been re-elected to the WTA Board of Directors in the position of player alternate representative for his third straight two-year term.
The WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sports. In his capacity as player alternate representative, Burke works alongside other player board members Julia Boserup, Anja Vreg, and Kurt Zumwalt, to engage with all singles and doubles players and ensure that the Board and WTA management are fully informed of their point of view in advocating for their best interests.
Burke also serves as the chairman of the Board of the Women’s Tennis Benefit Association (WTBA) and is on the Board of Directors of WTA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the WTA Tour which aims to make a positive impact across the globe through various initiatives promoting equality, education, leadership and health & wellness.
When asked about his recent reelection, Burke reflected on his initial election, how much has happened since, and how much more potential there is for growth in the coming years.
He said, “At 27 years old, when I was first elected to this position, I was honestly a bit surprised. I felt like in some ways the players saw me as an investment into their sport- someone who had a strong tennis background but did not necessarily know the ins and outs of the business side of tennis.
“I really used the first year or so of my tenure to be a sponge and to learn from everyone around me (the players, the other player board reps, WTA employees and management) and to really try to get an understanding of the organisation and where my place was in it so that I could ultimately utilize my strengths to represent the players on tour in the most effective way possible,” Burke continued, adding “I am humbled by the opportunity to represent the players and feel privileged and validated by the fact that they have elected me to advocate on their behalf for a third term. I am motivated to work with our team to continue to make strides that will have a lasting positive impact on our players and the organization as a whole.”
In addition to his roles with the WTA and the WTBA, Burke also serves on the emerging leaders council for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and is the special projects manager for Gore Developments Limited and the Gore Family Foundation in Jamaica.
One of the achievements of the Gore Family Foundation that Burke is most proud of is that it has introduced thousands of children to the sport of tennis through its basic schools tennis programme. Most of these children would have never otherwise picked up a racquet in their lifetimes.
