Randy Welsh
Dennis Whitley
When you ask someone about their introduction to tennis, you expect to hear about a family member or school program, not Jimmy Connors and Farrah Fawcett. However, that is how Randy Welsh first encountered tennis, while working as a stagehand at the Denver Auditorium Arena in the 1970s where the top men’s players gathered for the United Bank Tennis Classic. He didn’t receive any instruction from Jimmy Connors, however, he did get Farah Fawcett (Jimmy’s girlfriend at the time) to sign her iconic poster that hung in his office.
Randy’s career started at the age of 18 when he joined the International Alliance of Theatrical Stagehand Employees Union. Over the next twenty years, he held a number of positions at many of the prominent Denver venues that included Elitch’s Theater, Central City Opera House, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Coliseum, and the Auditorium Arena and Theater.
In 1990, Randy moved into facility management when he took a position at the Colorado Convention Center as the building services manager. From there, Randy rose through the ranks to finally become the director of operations at the convention center, a position he held for 18 years. Randy oversaw the expansion of the building that doubled in size, managed a multi-million-dollar budget, and had 125 employees reporting to him. So, when he was asked to be the vice president of facilities for the PebbleCreek Tennis Club, we knew he was overqualified!
One of the other benefits from working at the convention center was it was where he met his wife, Debbie. Debbie is the person that really got Randy involved in playing tennis, not Jimmy or Farrah. After playing tennis on their home court, Debbie encouraged Randy to expand his play and join a tennis league. Over the years, he has played on a number of USTA teams and when he returns to Colorado in the summer, he plays on two USTA men’s teams. In PebbleCreek, Randy plays with the Amigos, Doug Stansfield’s Monday-Wednesday-Friday group, and the Men’s 3.0 Team where he won every set but one this past season.
Over the course of ten years, Randy and Debbie kept their eyes open for a place where they could spend their winters. They were immediately attracted to the resort-style living that PebbleCreek offers, and, of course, the tennis facilities. Once they arrived in October 2018, they felt the tennis club embraced and welcomed them as part of a family.
Because of his background as a craftsman, Randy still enjoys working with his hands on DIY projects around the home. Though once a Harley Davidson enthusiast, Randy and Debbie now take their BMW convertible Z-4 out for a cruise instead.
Randy has quickly become part of the tennis club community where he is known, not only for his tennis skills, but his good nature, laughter, and willingness to volunteer his time to the club. That is why Randy is our Tennis Player of the Month.