Officers & Board of Directors

Officers

Jim Kluttz, President
Jim and his wife Dottie are life-long residents of Tybee Island. As President of the Tybee Island Historical Society he has led the initiative to restore the Tybee Light Station. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. He has served as President of Hospice Savannah Inc.

Keith Gay, Vice President
Managing partner Tybee Beech Vacation Rentals, Associate Broker, Solomon Properties. Keith is also Chairman of the Tybee Island Economic Development Committee. Keith has a background in both finance and public relations is a long time community support on Tybee.

Kay Kerr Barthelmess Fortner, Treasurer
Kay Fortner is a Savannah native. She is retired and living on Tybee Island after working in Atlanta, GA, Kansas City, MO, Parsippany, NJ and Jacksonville, FL. Previously, Kay was a senior executive at H&R Block where she worked with the IRS and Congress to develop an electronic filing system. She was also the project manager for Canadian Cashback tax filing and a consultant and co-owner of a Jackson Hewitt Tax Services franchise in north Florida and southern Georgia, operating 58 offices with 400 seasonal and 20 year-around employees. Kay has been active with many local organizations including the Trinity Chapel Methodist Church on Tybee Island, the Tybee Island Tour of Homes, CFO of the Tybee Island Charter School and a member of the Tybee Island Beach Chair Brigade. Kay’s father was the assistant controller of the City of Savannah and later controller of the Georgia Ports Authority before starting his own accounting and tax business in Savannah and Hilton Head, SC. Kay is married to Perb Fortner and has 3 children and 4 grandchildren.

Sarah Jones,  Secretary
Sarah, a native of Texas, received her undergraduate degrees in American Studies and Anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. While in college she worked for a for profit theater called the Steven Stoli’s Playhouse. There she learned what it takes to make a theater successful and profitable. Sarah moved to Savannah in 2002 after she fell in love with the city. She has an MFA from SCAD in Historic Preservation and has worked for the Tybee Island Historical Society as their Director of Operations since 2006. Her husband Casey Jones is a Tybee native.

Board

Richard Adams

Jay Burke
Livelong resident of Tybee Island of 45 years. Graduate of Blessed Sacrament Parochial School, Benedictine Military School, Savannah State University, BA., Accounting, Past General Chairman Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee 2001 and 2002, Past Treasurer of Tybee Island YMCA. Currently Tybee Island Planning Commission Chairman, Secretary Irish Heritage Society, Co-Founder/Organizer Tybee Irish Heritage Celebration Parade, Parishioner St. Peters the Apostle on Wilmington Island, Employed by Empire Distributors 15 years/ Sales, Burke’s Beach Rental Business, Family Owned over 55 years.

Carrie Efird
Carrie is co-owner of Tybee Vacation Rentals; founded in 2000 the company is now celebrating 10 years in business. She also is a residential design consultant, a business that stemmed from her years performing design work for her husband’s residential construction company. Carrie’s previous background is in restaurant and retail management; she has formerly served 2 terms on Tybee Island Economic Development Committee and Tybee Fest Kids Committee Chair (06-08), and her family supports Tybee non-profits such as of Tybee Historic Society, FOTT, TIMSC. She is a Savannah native but her mother, Bonnie Gaster grew up on Tybee, used to frequent the Old Post Theater, and her desire to see the theater restored and reopened is a big part of Carrie’s interest in serving on the Board. For the past seven years, Carrie has lived on Tybee full-time with her husband, Scott and 5 year old daughter, Caroline.

Tina Gann

Sue Getty

I’m not a Savannah native, but close, I graduated from the old Savannah High School and have been married to John Getty, a Savannah native, for most of my life. We have two grown children and almost 5 grandchildren. As a teenager I spent many happy summer’s at my Grandfather’s beach house near Ft. Screven. I retired in June 2010 after spending over 40-years in banking; 30 of those spent in the Savannah market on Wilmington Island or in the Historic District downtown. We moved to Tybee in July of last year.

I have a special interest in the success of the Tybee Post Theatre because of my professional involvement when the theatre was purchased from the Historical Society several years ago. I’m hopeful that my contacts and knowledge of business will be helpful toward the theatre’s success.

When I worked I was involved with Savannah Waterfront Assn, Downtown Business Assn., Small Business Chamber Tourism Leadership Council and numerous other organizations.

Paul Gilker
My connection to anything Tybee began when I met Mary Hutton at Notre Dame in 1975. Before that September 13 evening, I had no idea a place like Tybee existed and I believe Mary Hutton didn’t know where to find Arkansas on a map. Mary and I were married at St. Michael in 1978. We and our two children spent our summers and numerous family occasions on Tybee over the years. Our Tybee visits were so frequent, our kids consider Tybee their real home (Lauren and Andrew). Mary and I confirmed our Tybee roots in 2003 and in Tybee style have been maintaining our 1930 era raised cottage. We have lived full time on Tybee since July 2007. Mary teaches mathematics at Islands High School. I am an attorney licensed and practicing in Arkansas and Georgia specializing in labor general business law. In addition to my law degree, I have a MBA, a B.B.A (finance) and an A.A. in arts. Mary and I are members and supporters of various Tybee organizations and believe the Post Theater would contribute to Tybee as a community by providing a venue for cultural experiences and other events

Karen Kelly
I am a full time resident of Tybee Island. Tybee Historic Post Theater is an important part of Tybee’s Heritage and once opened it will be a wonderful asset for our community. I am honored to be considered as a potential board member. I believe I would be a great asset to this group. My qualifications are as follows: From 1995 until 2007 I owned two successful businesses in North Carolina, a Real Estate Firm & a Storage & Apartment Facility. I have restored many historical homes and worked with non-profit projects throughout the past 20 years. Since moving to Tybee in 2007 I have been employed by Tybee Island Realty as an Associate Broker, Managed several rental properties and did a complete restoration on our 1915 Tybee Cottage. I have also spent several hours every week volunteering with different projects on our island including my church, the light house, Marine Science Turtle Project and the Historic Tybee Post Theater, The Community Resource Committee as well as Blessed Sacrament and Saint Michaels Schools School. I am hard working, committed and have a ton of energy. I look forward to working with the Historic Tybee Post Theater Board.

Maria Lancaster
Owner, Blueprint Marketing, CEO, S&S Medical Concepts, LLC. Maria Lancaster has traveled extensively and done business throughout the world. She is currently offering Executive Management services via her consulting company, Blueprint Marketing and is the Chief Executive Officer of a new start-up medical device company, S&S Medical Concepts. Ms. Lancaster has setup international sales offices and distributors and managed worldwide sales organization for high tech companies including Lotus Development Corporation, Oracle and VeriSign. Since moving to Savannah she has worked, participated on committees and been a board member of several not-for-profit organizations including the Savannah Music Festival, Telfair Museums, Savannah Development and Renewal Authority and The 200 Club of the Coastal Empire. She has helped Georgia based international consulates and international chambers of commerce expose their culture through music and the arts. She lived in Lerici, Italy and went to school in Rome, Italy for three years during her high school years. She currently enjoys living on Tybee with her husband, Jerry and their dog, Bailey. Jerry and she have two children and one granddaughter. Ms. Lancaster has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Business from the Harvard Business School.

Jenny Orr

Dick Smith
Dick Smith has been a Commercial Real Estate Broker and Developer since 1980 and President/CEO of Commercial Real Estate Properties, Inc. since 1986. He and his wife, Carolyn, have lived on Tybee Island full time since 1989. Dick has served the City as a member of Planning Commission for seven years, four as Chairman, as well as two years on City Council. He has served several years as a member of the YMCA board. Presently Dick serves on the Tybee Board of Better Home Town and as a member of the City Audit Committee.

Virgina Ward

Exofficio

Gordon Matthews, Past President 2010
Gordon, the former CFO for Chatham Steel, has been the treasurer for Union Mission, the Savannah Music Festival, and the Georgia Conservancy and was President of Historic Savannah Foundation and Leadership Savannah. As our President, he is actively involved in helping the organization articulate the opportunities and strategies for the organization. He now lives on Tybee full time after raising his family in Savannah’s Historic District.

Frank Shuman
Currently serving on Tybee Island City Council