Ballet Memphis
Gretchen Wollert McLennon
McLennon has long been associated with the company, having served as board chair, chair of the strategic plan, and being an integral part of the recent capital campaign.
She officially begins on August 1st, but has already been working with partners, dancers, and the executive team on the transition.
“I want to leverage Dorothy Gunther Pugh’s legacy to reimagine how Ballet Memphis can become even more valuable well into the 21st century. I’m excited to work with a world class team to explore how a ‘traditional’ art form can further deliver on our commitment to both equity and reflecting our shared community values,” she says.
As a child, McLennon was a student in the Ballet Memphis school and was part of the junior company. She was board chair from 2014 to 2017 and worked on the project to construct the company’s facility in Overton Square.
She has more than 15 years in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, including 10 years at the Hyde Family Foundation as program director.
She has also been major gifts officer for the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association and a donor relations officer for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. She is on the boards of several local nonprofits.
Ballet Memphis has a $4 million operating budget and has performed around the world.
