John Daniel

Co-Founder and CEO

John is CEO of Bluff City Athletics and a 47-year veteran of the banking industry, serving most recently on the executive management committee of First Horizon until his retirement in 2021. John serves on a number of local boards including River City Capital, Seeding Success, First 8, Center for Transforming Communities and New Memphis. John is a recognized thought leader in the community and speaks frequently on culture and leadership. In 2022, John was appointed to a one-year term as a Fellow at Harvard University studying social entrepreneurship. Bluff City Pickleball is a product of his studies.

Leslie Daniel

Co-Founder and Chief Community Engagement Officer

Leslie has a degree in business administration from Florida A&M University. She has served in several leadership roles in banking and education. Leslie is currently Chair of the 2023 American Heart Association Go Red for Women campaign. She has served in multiple community leadership roles and currently serves on the board of Picklemania. Leslie and John received the AHA ‘s inaugural Living Heart Award in 2022 for their longtime volunteer and financial support to the AHA. The award is now named in their honor.

John Daniel

Chief Operations Officer

John Daniel (Johnny) is Chief Operating Officer of Bluff City Athletics and will be involved in the day-to-day operations of the club including overseeing information technology and club finances. John is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. John has served in multiple financial roles in the banking, health care and engineering industries. He has deep experience in financial analysis and reporting, consulting and financial modeling. John has served on the board and as an advisor to a youth sports organization.

Emma Gately

Events Coordinator and Coach

Emma started playing pickleball in 2019 and is a rising young star in the pickleball world. Her sports history of volleyball and golf served her well in picking up the game of pickleball. She maintains her teaching certificate through the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR). Emma has worked with Taylor Taylor as the Director of Communications at PickleMania since 2021. The rewards associated with sharing her love of pickleball with those who might not otherwise have access has given her a deeper love for diversity and a heart for service. Additionally, Emma is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Arkansas State University and plans to pursue her master’s degree upon completion.

Taylor Taylor

Senior Advisor, Technical Consultant and Coaching Lead

Taylor was a nationally ranked junior tennis player and Division I scholar-athlete at the University of Virginia. Taylor has a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Tennessee Memphis. In 2017, Taylor started playing pickleball and is now recognized nationally as a player, coach and PPR (Professional Pickleball Registry) clinician. Her passion for pickleball and people led her to start PickleMania, a non-profit organization that provides a social-emotional learning experience to under-resourced children, families, and communities through pickleball. Taylor is a sponsored player with ProXR Pickleball, is a participant in the new National Pickleball League (Austin Ignite) and has numerous partnerships with various organizations in the pickleball world.

Randall Bedwell

Senior Consultant and Junior Coaching Lead

Randall is a senior consultant to Bluff City Pickleball and spearheads our junior pickleball initiative to build a strong and competitive coeducational program encompassing middle and high school students throughout Shelby County.

He played varsity tennis for Lambuth University and was a certified USPTA teaching pro for over four decades. After falling in love with pickleball, he retired his racquet and founded Pickleball Kids USA, and has been building a strong club team network across the state. He recently authored “Tennessee School Academic Standards for Physical Education- Pickleball,” funded by a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health.