Liberty County native Derek White will be enshrined in the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame’s class for 2027.

White, currently a Chatham County State Court judge and resident of Pooler, is the first Black president and CEO of U.S. Tennis Association Southern section, the largest of the USTA sections. The Southern section serves 23 percent of USTA members.

White began his tennis volunteering career in Macon, where he served as president of the Macon Tennis Association while he attended the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He served the USTA at the district, sectional and national levels for more than 25 years.

He is past chair of the Presidents’ Committee, chair of the Section Delegates’ Committee and served two terms as the chair of the USTA Grievance Committee.

Currently, White is a director-at-large on the USTA Board of Directors.

According to his nomination, White has contributed to the advancement of the sport through service on numerous national committees, including the Constitution and Rules Committee, Tennis Rules Committee, Nominating Committee, Governance Task Force and Section Funding Task Force.

White was awarded the 2025 USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl and the 2024 USTA Southern Charles B. Morris Jr. Service Award. He also served in several leadership roles with numerous civic organizations, including the United Way of the Coastal Empire, the Georgia Bar Foundation, First Tee of Savannah, Boys and Girls Clubs, American Red Cross, Girl Scouts, Coastal Georgia Land Trust and several historic preservation organizations.

He also has been judge for the City of Pooler, chief judge for the City of Port Wentworth, judge pro tem in the City of Savannah Recorder’s Court and special master for the state Supreme Court.

White was first elected Chatham County State Court judge in 2020 and won re-election in 2024.