(August 3, 2005) ?C Leslie Allen, head women's tennis coach at Fordham University for the past two years, announced her resignation today to accept a position on the WTA Tour Board of Directors as the top 20 player board representative. She will also serve as a member of the Women's Tennis Benefits Association (WTBA) which governs player membership, insurance, and the pension plan and will continue her work as the executive director of the Leslie Allen Foundation which operates Win 4 Life programming nationally. A search for a replacement will begin immediately. Allen, a former WTA Tour standout, was named head coach at Fordham in August of 2003, bringing a wealth of tennis experience to Rose Hill, both as a coach and a player. An honors graduate of the University of Southern California, she was a member of their number 1 ranked national championship team. A 10-year competitor on the WTA tour, she reached a career high ranking of #17 in the world, capturing a combined nine singles and doubles titles. In 1981, Allen won the Avon Championships of Detroit, becoming the first African American woman to win a major tennis tournament in 27 years since Althea Gibson's US Open victory in 1958. Most recently, she founded the Leslie Allen Foundation in 2001. Through their trademark Win 4 Life program, the Foundation helps urban youth develop tennis and life skills and introduces them to the many careers behind the scenes in pro tennis. The Foundation's maxim is ??Tennis is more than just hitting a ball.??