Since 1978, when he succeeded Charles W. Pickering, Retzer has been elected multiple times as state chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party.

The agreement between the United States and Tanzania gave the country the ability to improve the way civil society monitors the government's progress in getting rid of corruption.

On June 8, 2007, the White House announced that Retzer would be replaced as Ambassador to Tanzania by Mark Green, a former Republican congressman and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin.

[3] Dodd asked that Retzer rescind his cable of no confidence of Djondo or that the State Department provide a written apology to her.

[3] On June 28, after he announced that he had received an apology from the State Department Senator Dodd released his hold on Green's nomination allowing it to go forward.

[4] In Greenville, Mississippi, where he has resided, Retzer has contributed to community growth by serving in many civic organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial Foundation, and the South Delta Planning Council and Rotary Club.