20 Under 40 – Shawn Edwards
37
RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas & T Bar M Racquet Club
Education: UNT
Shawn Edwards found a way to combine his love of tennis with his passion for creating innovative events.
He is part of the management team at T Bar M Racquet Club and is tournament operations director at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas.
“As far as (the professional accomplishment he’s most proud of), it has to be seeing our tournament on national television on the Tennis Channel last year. It has been great to see how the event has evolved since 1998,” he said.
Edwards worked as a sports journalist and in the insurance industry for about five years before he started with the T Bar M Racquet Club.
“I will continue to do my part to assist the RBC Tennis Championships growing into one of the top sporting and social weeks in Dallas annually, but I also see myself involved in other events both in Dallas and beyond,” he said.
Edwards hopes to expand his philanthropic impact in the future to raise money and awareness for organizations like the Isner Family Foundation, Susan G. Komen Dallas County, the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, and the Dallas Tennis Association’s DTEA programs.
He said he was also particularly heartened by how the community came together to help with the recovery effort after the October tornado.
Q: What do you love most about your community?
A: Seeing how well the community came together and pitched in when hit with the devastating tornado this past October. It really took the entire community banding together to pick up the pieces and clean up our neighborhoods.
Q: Which leadership skills were the most challenging for you to develop and why?
A: I’ve always taken pride in being able to handle a lot of different projects, but learning how to delegate has proven the most beneficial to my career.
Q: If you could buy a book (or rent a movie) for your neighbor, what would it be and why?
A: It would without a doubt be “Extreme You: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat.” by Sarah Robb. It is a book that does a great job of opening your eyes to your personal strengths and how that can guide you to a very successful and fulfilling career.
Q: What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
A: Working as a busboy for a catfish restaurant. I learned a lot about hard work and the foodservice industry, but I also learned that I hate tartar sauce.
Q: What is your favorite local store?
A: Celebration is great. We eat there monthly and have for years.
Q: Where is the best place in the Park Cities or Preston Hollow for a power lunch – what do you order?
A: I love Jia Modern Chinese! Start with the dumplings and you can’t go wrong with the orange peel chicken.
