A Fond Farewell: Imperial Sir Jerry G. Gantt Ends Two-Decade Tenure as Member of the Joint Boards

Imperial Sir Jerry G. Gantt of Lincolnton, North Carolina, shared goodbyes and gratitude at the 150th Imperial Session in Reno, Nevada, having decided to retire and bringing his service on the boards of Shriners International and Shriners Children’s to a close after nearly 20 years.

Imperial Sir Gantt was first elected to the Imperial line in 2005, and he served as Imperial Potentate in 2015–2016. He was elected as President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, at the Imperial Session held in Tampa, Florida. During his tenure as Chairman of the Board, Imperial Sir Gantt focused on leading the healthcare system through a time of great change in the industry – and through a pandemic. He remained laser-focused on helping children and families have access to Shriners Children’s amazing care, no matter where they lived. Imperial Sir Gantt led the effort to consolidate our former Houston and Galveston facilities, creating Shriners Children’s Texas. He oversaw incredible international expansion, most visibly with the creation of several new clinics in Mexico, but in outreach efforts as well.

And he was a dedicated champion of the principles of Vision 2035, Shriners Children’s plan to see more kids in more places, at a lower cost, by the year 2035. At Imperial Session in Reno, Gantt was named Chairman Emeritus. “It has been a great honor for me to have been entrusted with the leadership of Shriners Children’s,” Imperial Sir Gantt said. “I want to say thank you to our Shriners, employees and volunteers for your commitment to our philanthropy and for working together to ensure its future. I believe we are in our strongest, best position ever to reach and care for the children who need us.”