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Kaye Schwalb, a volunteer for more than 40 years at Rose Center for the Arts, is the 2022 recipient of the Joe Q. Dougherty Volunteer of the Year Award. Schwalb received the award at Prater Hall at Rose Center Tuesday afternoon at the United Way of Hamblen County’s annual meeting.

When Schwalb came to the front to receive her award, she said a simple, “Thank you.”

Schwalb has volunteered for more than 40 years, United Way of Hamblen County Executive Director Gary Matthews said.

“Her years of service and commitment to the mission of the organization she serves has been invaluable, giving of her time, talents and financial support,” Matthews said. “The loyalty and dedication to the agency has been shown over the last four decades in a number of ways. Being a board member for most of the past 40 years, she rarely misses a meeting or event and has served many times as its board chair, as well as, being on the personnel, membership and special events committees.”

Matthews went on to say that the wisdom and experience Schwalb brings to Rose Center after so many years is priceless, especially for their major fundraising event, the annual Mountain Makins Festival in October.

“She spends countless hours making soup beans and cornbread, delicious pies, slicing and pricing baked goods for the Country Store. It is just the tip of the iceberg for what she does to make Mountain Makins a successful event each year,” Matthews said.

Schwalb volunteered for nearly a year to do the bookkeeping for Rose Center on a weekly basis.

“Most of all, Rose Center, which was the former Rose School, was named for Schwalb’s great-great grandfather,” Matthews said. “For that reason, she has a deep love of and sense of responsibility for the continued success of Rose Center for the Arts.”

The Joe Q. Dougherty Award is sponsored by the United Way of Hamblen County in memory of Dougherty, a long-time United Way volunteer.

The award, initiated by the American Enka Corporation in 1976, honors one who voluntarily gives time above and beyond normal expectations to a participating United Way agency or the United Way itself.