Gwinnett businessman Matt Retter has been elected as Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s new Board Chairman effective July, 2008. Mr. Retter follows Stan Hall in this position. Mr. Hall held the Chairmanship for four years before moving from the GBT Board to become Chairman of the Board of the Hudgens Center for the Arts.

Mr. Retter owns his own real estate appraisal business in Lawrenceville, Billingsley, Retter and Associates, Inc., and is involved in consulting and developing real estate. He has been a resident of Gwinnett for the past 34 years and graduated from Berkmar High School. He is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Degree in Business Administration and received the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute. He has been active in the South Gwinnett Rotary and has served as a Gwinnett County Planning Commissioner. He has held the offices of President and also Trustee of the Bethesda United Methodist Church Men’s Club.

“I hope to raise awareness within the Greater Gwinnett County business, civic and arts communities about the accomplishments and potential of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre,” he says.

GBT Artistic Director Lisa Sheppard Robson is also very enthusiastic about Mr. Retter’s taking the helm of the Board. She states, “I feel so fortunate that Matt has taken such interest in contributing his strengths to the Board. Performing arts organizations meet with challenges in our non-profit status and the cost of production versus funding. This is an area where Matt is always particularly focused and has met with success in the past. I am looking forward to his administration and following his direction to great new heights.”

Mr. Retter and his wife Meredith have three daughters, Mallory, Meagan and Molly. Mallory dances in the GBT pre-professional company. Matt, Meredith and Mallory traveled to Austria this summer where GBT dancers, including Mallory, participated in the Young Tanzsommer Festival. Mr. Retter says of the experience, “It was an opportunity of a lifetime and our dancers proved Gwinnett Ballet’s level of excellence as one of the top non-professional performing companies.”

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre has been “nurturing young dancers since 1977.” Located with studios in Snellville’s Fountain Square, the school and company are both non-profit, 501C3 entities. GBT will be producing its 27^th annual production of The Nutcracker this year from December 6-21^st at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.

For more information about Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, call 770-978-0188 or visit www.gwinnettballet.org.

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