Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Presentation Ball Chair Melissa Lewis smiled about her hair that now extended past her shoulders. While others may have envied the length, Melissa admitted she was looking forward to having it cut back to chin length. But that wouldn’t happen until Tuesday, February 11.

The reason was that on the evening of Saturday, February 8, she planned to wear her hair swooped up to show off earrings on loan from Eiseman Jewels at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Presentation Ball at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
But on the night of Thursday, January 30, she was welcoming guests at the Presentation Ball Underwriters Dinner at the Ritz Carlton in an outfit that was more pleasing to the family budget. She laughed that the most expensive thing in her look was her gold nail polish. The shoes had been a last-minute emergency purchase to complement another outfit at another event, but then she found out the kicks “went with everything.” Her dress had been snapped up at Dillard’s for less than $45.


Before the doors to the ballroom opened for dinner, some of the 85 or so guests, like deb parents Lisa Troutt, Christy Crenshaw, Jill Magnuson, Rick Kumpf, Elizabeth and Eric Gambrell, Katie and Bret Pedigo and Amanda and Brint Ryan, were checking out the Gittings portraits of the 2020 debs on display. The Ryans’ 24th wedding anniversary was due to take place in late March. They had dated for three years before marrying. When Brint was asked what took him so long, he admitted that it took persistence to get her to accept his proposal.






Meantime, while other attendees including Ball Founder Tincy Miller, 2020 DSOL President Kim Brannon and her husband Joe Brannon, past DSOL Presidents Mari Epperson and Dixie Marshall and Kay Weeks visited, Melissa said the Ritz was a no-muss, no-fuss choice for the Underwriters thank-you dinner, which in the past had been held at spots including the Bush Center, Old Parkland and Brook Hollow.
Deborah Brown says
SUPER SUPER SUPER!!! Thank you, Jeanne!!