Bio

Geralyn "Jeri" Shepard is a distinguished pioneer of community college tennis in California. 
After an illustrious career as an internationally ranked amateur, Shepard began coaching at Pasadena City College in 1968. She quickly became an influential force in the development of a coed, mixed-doubles program in Southern California. In its first year of competition, Shepard's Pasadena coed team finished fifth in the state. Her teams went on to win the coed championship in 1971, 1974, and 1979. Shepard's women's teams were also well known for their competitive consistency. In Shepard's twenty two years at Pasadena, her women's teams placed in the top five in Southern California six times, including two Southern California Championships and placed in the state's top six three times. She coached numerous conference and state champions, and was known as a hands-on coach who possessed a true passion for teaching.

Shepard's professional contributions to the sport are equally impressive. She served as the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance (CAHPERD) Vice President for Physical Education in the San Gabriel Valley Unit, and as the CAHPERD Tennis Chairman for the Division for Girls and Women's Sports. Shepard served in the prestigious position of official referee for the Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Tennis League Championships. Shepard helped to develop the State Tennis Code to include both men's and women's community college tennis programs and served on the Southern California Community College Intercollegiate Athletic Council as Women's Tennis Chairperson, Women's Tennis Committee Chair, Finance Committee member and Ethics and Eligibility Committee member. She also served as a tournament director for numerous tennis events in Southern California.

Shepard was named the California Community College Tennis Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1981 and was a member of the first inductee class of the California Community College Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996. Shepard is now a distinguished member of the COA Hall of Fame.