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To say that Kay Senter was surprised Thursday is an understatement.

Senter, who has served on the Morristown City Council for 30 years and was a long-time teacher at Morristown-Hamblen High School East, was honored by the Samuel Doak Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution with the “Women in History” award for her service to Morristown and the chapter.

“We have a very special, sweet, brilliant, precious lady in the Samuel Doak Chapter,” Carole Long said before reading some of Senter’s accomplishments from her biography. “We all need to know the services she has given to this area, community, city and state.”

“Oh, my goodness,” Senter said when seeing the award. Senter was presented a certificate from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The framed certificate also included a 100-word paragraph written by Long describing Senter.

“It was hard for me to select what to put on there,” Long said. “National just wanted 100 words. I just read probably 2,000 words.

“We are so proud of you,” Long said. “We’re so glad to have you as a member of the Doak chapter.”

“My Aunt Mattie Clair’s sister is the reason why I’m in DAR,” Senter said. “She would be so proud. Thank you. This is the most wonderful honor I’ve ever received.”

Senter’s name and picture will be sent to be included in the NSDAR’s national database of women in American history

Senter was elected to the Morristown City Council in 1993. During her tenure, she has served as Vice-Mayor and chaired the Finance Committee for several terms. She serves on the Tennessee Municipal League Bond Fund Board as Chairperson, the first woman in Tennessee to achieve this; past president of the TML Board; and the University of Tennessee-Municipal Technical Advisory Board. She has served on the TML Risk Management Pool Board. She is past president of Tennessee Women in Government. In 2011, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey appointed Senter to a four-year term on the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. Speaker of the House Beth Harwell reappointed her to another four-year term in 2015.

She represented Tennessee on the National League of Cities Public Safety Steering Committee/NLC Advocacy Committee from 1993-2020. She is past president of the NLC-Women in Municipal Government organization and currently serves on the WIMG Advisory Board. In 2013, she served on the NLC Nominating Committee. Senter has been a presenter and/or moderator at NLC City Summit Conferences several times during her tenure on the city council.

Her service on local boards currently includes: Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System/Covenant Health Board; Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System/Covenant Health Foundation (secretary); Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System /Covenant Health Credentials Committee; Boys & Girls Club, Inc. (past president); GFWC Somo Sala Circle (past president); Senior Citizens Center Board (secretary); Morristown-Hamblen Imagination Library Advisory Council (secretary); Crockett Tavern Museum; Morristown-Hamblen Library Board (policy committee chair). She is a member of PEO (National Women’s organization – provides financial support to women attending college); the Chamber of Commerce; Girls, Inc. (100 Club); Tusculum University President’s Advisory Council; the Daughters of the American Revolution; Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities. She served on the Hamblen County 911 Board as treasurer 2005-2018. She was reappointed to the 911 Board in 2021. She previously served on the First United Methodist Church Finance Committee, Morristown Cemetery Preservation Committee and the P-16 Council (focus on pre-school to college and/or technical school education).

Senter received her Bachelor’s degree from Emory & Henry College and her Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She has completed 45 graduate hours above her Master’s degree. She taught English at Morristown-Hamblen High School East for 38 years, retiring in 2011. In 1984, she became a Career Ladder II Teacher. In 2004, Senter was selected Hamblen County Teacher of the Year, advancing to become one of six state finalists for Tennessee Teacher of the Year in 2004.

Honors include: Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow Award, First Lady of Morristown, Bob Harbison Hall of Honor, Hamblen Women’s Hall of Fame, Hurricane Alumni Hall of Honor, and the 2017 Hamblen County Good Scout Award which is chosen and awarded by the Great Smoky Mountain Council – Scouting USA BSA.

Kay is the daughter of the late Dr. John and Betty Kinser, wife of the late Jim Senter, and mother of Jimmy Senter, III. Jimmy and his wife Brooke are the parents of Kay’s two grandchildren.