Management

Meet the Management:

Darren Thompson

Darren has been involved in the Pickleball community since he helped get Mirador switched from rundown tennis courts to pickleball courts and served on the board from 2017 to 2019. Then he was part of the construction committee for the new courts – helping with the building of the 14 new courts and bringing the club’s long-term vision to life.

Darren has played pickleball all over the world and won the Nationals Mixed open in Italy, second at the Men’s open in France, first place at Nationals in intermediate Singles in France. He has played multiple US nationals, US Open and Hawaii Open. Darren won the Men’s open with Scott Moore at the Sombrero Showdown a few years back.

As co-manager of San Carlos Pickleball Club, Darren manages the Club’s operations, organizes our day to day activities, oversees the club membership growth and leads our weekly Tactica Tuesday Round Robin. He is also in charge running our club tournaments, and managing the Club’s front desk and maintenance staff.

Darren and his wife Mariel own First Step Group San Carlos, a real estate company principally focused on beach front condos that includes Property Management and Vacation Rentals. Darren started a property management company in San Carlos in 2009, managing 20 properties in Bahia Delfin.

Darren has a bachelors degree in Chemistry and worked as a chemical engineer for Johnson and Johnson where he was black belt certified in six sigma. He returned to the work force during the pandemic and worked for Roche in quality control producing Regenerons Monoclonal antibody cocktail Covid drug.

Darren’s commitment to the local community extends beyond sports and business. From 2008 to 2010, he served as Treasurer of the San Carlos Rotary Club, where he was named Rotarian of the Year for his leadership in raising over $100,000 in disaster relief following Hurricane Jimena.

Mariel Rivera

Mariel is a passionate business strategist and social impact advocate with a background in Business Management Engineering and currently completing a Master’s in Marketing & Digital Business at IEBS (Innovation & Entrepreneurship Business School). And has Real state license lice by AMPI.

As co-manager of San Carlos Pickleball Club she helps manage the Club’s operations, works on marketing and communications strategies, and tournament partnership efforts. Mariel has a deep interest in creating programs to support young talent from low income communities through initiatives like Grandes Niños Pickleball Program.

Mariel and her husband Darren co-own First Step Group San Carlos, a real estate business principally focused on beach front condos that includes Property Management and Vacation Rentals. As a parallel of real estate recently Mariel was hired to support the sales expansion of BYD (Build Your Dreams)—one of the world’s largest hybrid and electric vehicle companies—into Guaymas and San Carlos Sonora.

Before moving back to San Carlos Mariel already had a decade of experience in digital strategy, public relations, partnership development, and project management. During her work as digital consultant in Mexico City in her previous project she co-created and implemented successful growth strategies for national and international brands. Her work has supported clients in increasing sales, scaling markets, and enhancing their digital presence. Her true passion lies in sustainable development and social activism. Since 2010, Mariel has actively contributed to the nonprofit sector, holding leadership roles in organizations such as Rotaract, AIESEC, and OINAH. Her commitment to youth leadership and community development led her from founding the AIESEC Sonora Chapter to serving as Vice President of Business Development on AIESEC Mexico’s National Board, and later taking on a global role with AIESEC International. There, she led partnership development across the Americas, managing collaborations with multinational corporations (DHL, DELL, SIEMENS, BOSCH, SANOFI), and global institutions like the UN, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank, all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From 2018 to 2021, she served as Vice President and Board Member of AIESEC Alumni International, continuing her commitment to empowering young leaders worldwide. Since she finished her term she serves as a former member advisor.