As Dover celebrates its 400th anniversary I am proud and excited to announce my candidacy for City Council representing Dover’s Ward 3. I have been a resident of Dover for more than 30 years and I am currently on the city’s ethics commission. Debbie Thibodeaux has decided to not seek another term. She has been our representative on the council for 10 years and is leaving some big shoes to fill!
I grew up in New York and then attended the University of New Hampshire where I graduated with a degree in History. My wife,Stephanie, and I opened up Atlantic Gymnastics Training Center in 1994 in Portsmouth before opening up a second location in Dover in 2004. Our two children both graduated from Dover High School and the University of New Hampshire.
As a business owner for nearly 30 years, I’ve seen the direct impact of policy decisions on students and their families. Whether it’s as global as COVID, or as local as whether our students have the resources at school and home to allow them to focus on success when they’re competing, I heard of the wins and losses in our community. I have worked with teachers, families, and other businesses to try to make Dover a community where we can work and live. As Dover continues to grow we need to work together to fund our schools and other city programs and services without pricing residents out of their homes.
In the gymnastics world, I have coached internationally for more than 25 years. I have lectured and taught courses through out the world on gymnastics technique, safety and risk management as well as ethics and good business practices. I recently returned from Switzerland where I was the Head Coach for the Swiss Senior National Team in Magglingen, Switzerland where I placed gymnasts at the Olympics and World Championships. I currently consult with Italian National Team members in Civitavecchia Italy, and will be visiting Ireland this fall to provide consulting services for the Irish Gymnastics Federation. Through gymnastics, I’ve learned – and taught – that you are going to make mistakes but you must recover! If you slip or stumble, you make corrections and keep moving forward. What works on the beam and bars works in life: you never stop doing the work to succeed. I want to serve Dover and keep our community moving forward as well.
As a parent and educator, I understand that educating our children is the foundation from which we build solid, strong communities. As a businessman, I know the importance of operational experience and fiscal responsibility. Dover has a bright and vibrant future; but that future must be carefully and thoughtfully built to preserve what makes Dover, Dover. We can be not just A place where families want to live and grow, but THE PLACE. I am excited about the opportunity to connect with members of our community and to ask for their support in November. It would be my honor to serve on the City Council of Dover representing Ward 3.
Tony Retrosi can be reached at Retrosi4Dover3rd@gmail.com or by phone at 603-512-8142