Patty Sarden,

Kathy Sehler

Are Honored

At Tusculum

Patty Sarden and Kathy Sehler, both of Greene County, have been recognied for their service to the community as recipients of 2008 Civic Responsibility and Outstanding Character awards.

They were among the 20 community volunteers from seven counties in Northeast Tennessee recognized last week for exemplary citizenship and outstanding character.

The awards were presented during "Celebrating the Past and Future of Our Civic Heritage" program hosted by Tusculum College, the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency, and Foundation for Life Principles.

Nominations for the awards came from each of the communities involved, and the award recipients are people who often work behind the scenes and may not have gotten much public recognition for their efforts, said Dale Fair, executive director of the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency.

"This recognition came from the people in your community," Fair told the award recipients. "Someone has been watching what you do. It has nothing to do with titles or halls of fame, but with the little things that people notice. In reading through the nominations, almost every one said that the nominee loves their community."

Patty Sarden

In announcing the award for Patty Sarden, Fair noted her varied community service using her creative talents to assist others. An amateur artist, she has been involved in Black History Month by displaying her artwork in the Nathanael Greene Museum.

She writes and recites poetry in the community, has been involved in a writing correspondence course with children, and writes children's stories and Christmas skits.

A self-taught pianist, Sarden is minister of music at Jones Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and volunteers to play at weddings, funerals, and social events.

Sarden was the first president of the George Clem Scholarship Foundation, and was involved with the foundation in the 1980s and helped reorganize it in the 1990s. She helped in the fundraising for scholarships and in selecting the scholarship recipients. She was also part of the reunion committee for the George Clem community.

Kathy Sehler

Fair said Kathy Sehler is the "epitome of 'super mom.' "

He said she has welcomed a number of foreign-exchange students into her home over the years and provided them a warm, caring place to call home during their time in the United States.

"She has cared for the foreign-exchange students as she cares for her own children," he added.

From the individual award recipients, a person is chosen to receive the overall Balch-Doak Award for the region. This year's recipient is Kathi Baty, of Washington County, who shares her personal battle with breast cancer in efforts advocating regular screenings for the disease.

The Balch-Doak Award is named for Rev. Hezekiah Balch, the founder of Greeneville College, and the Rev. Samuel Doak, a co-founder of Tusculum Academy, the two educational institutions that evolved into Tusculum College.

Carrie Marchant, vice president of development for the Foundation of Life Principles, said, "In a world filled with so many other things, it is refreshing to be in a room filled with so much goodness.

She added, "The people in this room have stood up and said 'I am going to do the right thing whatever it costs,' " she added.

The award recipients were welcomed to the college by Dr. Russell Nichols, interim president of Tusculum, who discussed the college's efforts to provide students an education that includes development of strong citizenship and good character, a mission that dates back to its founders.

State Rep. Eddie Yokley, D-11th, also addressed the recipients, thanking them for their efforts.