Gretchen grew up in Rochester, New York. But even though she has Yankee roots, she has lived in Snellville since 1975 and is proud to call the city her “forever home.” Gretchen graduated from Penn State with a B.S. degree in Dietetics. She and her husband, Kurt, who graduated from Penn State with a degree in Architecture, married shortly after her graduation in 1970 and headed for Atlanta for Gretchen’s dietetic internship at Emory University.
Gretchen worked in several different positions as a Registered Dietitian, including public health and as food editor of the former Gwinnett Daily News. She found her calling, however, in the area of school nutrition. She worked for the Gwinnett County School Nutrition program in the central office and then for the Georgia Department of Education, where she was employed until retirement in 2008, finishing her career as interim Director of School Nutrition for the state. During her school nutrition career she earned her M.Ed. degree from the University of Georgia while working full-time and was elected President of the Georgia Nutrition Association, a statewide organization with several thousand members.
As Gretchen approached retirement she began thinking of how she could stay engaged and challenged. Farmers markets were beginning to become popular and she considered starting one in Snellville as a venue for offering nutritious local produce, quality baked goods and other locally-produced foods. She approached some members of the City Council who expressed full support for her idea. She began forming a committee, which met at her house for several months. In June of 2010 the first market was held. The market has continued to grow and flourish, but Gretchen credits much of its success to the dedicated team of volunteers who administer the market, as well as the support of the community and city.
Gretchen and Kurt were also the force behind the creation of the Community Garden @ Snellville in Briscoe Park 5 years ago. The garden now has almost 50 raised beds that local residents can rent on an annual basis, a greenhouse, pavilion, beehive, and a “calendar garden” on two sides that provides color throughout much of the year. The garden has been designated a “pollinator garden” by UGA.
Gretchen was one of the founding board members of the Snellville Tourism and Trade Association, serving on the board for 8 years. She is proud of the projects and events that STAT has provided for the community. She is a graduate of the Snellville Citizens Police Academy and is active in the academy’s Alumni Association, which supports the police department.
When not volunteering in Snellville, Gretchen is often playing the role of “Grammy.” Gretchen and Kurt’s older daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Adam, live in Dacula and have three sons who all play baseball. Gretchen spends many hours at the baseball field. Their younger daughter, Molly, and her husband, Trey, have one daughter and Gretchen often commutes to Acworth to visit them.
As a member of the City Council, Gretchen will place a lot of emphasis on volunteerism. She believes that volunteers are the heart of the community and have played a very important role in building community spirit in Snellville.