PEP Board Member Receives Woman of the Year Award

Public Entity Partners Board Member Lois Preece was recently awarded the Febb Ensminger Burn Woman of the Year Award for her 13 years of service as mayor of the City of Niota, the longest term of any Niota mayor. Mayor Preece has lived in McMinn County for more than 50 years and transitioned to the mayor’s office following a career in education.

The Woman of the Year Award was created in 2021 by the owners of Crescent Sock Company. Founded in Niota in 1902 by Burn’s husband, the company is one of the oldest family-owned hosiery mills in the U.S. Today, the company is owned and operated by two of Burn’s great-great-granddaughters, Sandra Boyd and Cathy Allen.

The award honors passionate, dedicated and inspiring women like Febb Ensminger Burn. On Aug. 18, 1920, these qualities enabled her to play a vital role in Tennessee’s history as the state legislature debated whether to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would grant women the right to vote. Tennessee’s Senate had already approved the amendment.

Earlier that day, House members had voted twice to table the ratification decision. Both votes resulted in a tie, leaving the representatives with no choice but to vote on the amendment. Burn had sent a letter to her son, Harry T. Burn, urging him to vote for suffrage, and he cast the deciding vote in favor of the 19th Amendment.

Criteria for the Woman of the Year Award include excellence in leadership, professional accomplishments, participation in local organizations and passion for volunteer efforts in the community.

In addition to her roles as mayor and PE Partners Board of Directors member, Mayor Preece has been involved with the Athens Optimist Club, Leadership McMinn and the Southeast Tennessee Development Board. She also holds an honorary membership with the Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency and has worked diligently to obtain grants and funding for the betterment of the City of Niota.

“Mayor Preece is always looking for new ways to help her small community,” Allen said. “During her time as mayor, she has successfully obtained nearly $4 million in grant funding, ranging from improvements to the water and sewer infrastructure and maintenance to improving the main intersection in the city. She has sunk her roots in the local community, helping it grow and prosper. She has become the face, heart and spirit of the City of Niota.”

Mayor Preece has also organized numerous city events, including 19th Amendment commemoration ceremonies, the Model Train Show, Easter egg hunt and Fried Green Tomato Festival.

“She has proudly served her community with a vision of creating a safe and peaceful environment in which its citizens can be proud,” Boyd said. “Her motto is, ‘The needs of the city are to be met by the taxpayers’ money, if it is a want then we will work to raise the funding for it.’”