Morris-Baker Owner Wins Statewide Award
Preston McKee was awarded the 2021 Public Citizen of the Year Award by the National Association of Social Workers, Tennessee Chapter.
The Public Citizen of the Year award recognizes an outstanding member of the community, who is not a social worker, but whose accomplishments exemplify the values and mission of the social work profession.
Preston McKee is the president and owner of Morris-Baker Funeral Home and Cremation Services. His nomination letter states that “Preston exudes the social work values of service, dignity and worth of a person and the importance of human relationships. During his time with the family business, Preston has gone above and beyond to ensure that his clientele and the community have access to grief support.”
He was also nominated because of: his efforts to support grief education for social workers and other professionals in the region; his decades of community service—from Rotary International to United Way; and his financial support of important community projects such as the Tweetsie Trail and Langston Centre.
McKee accepted the award on March 31 during the NASW’s virtual Social Work Day on the Hill. During his acceptance, McKee said, “Virtually none of the accomplishments mentioned in the nomination would have been possible without the assistance of professionals in the community who have allowed me to work alongside them.”
He thanked individual community members, professionals in the social work field, his Morris-Baker staff, his wife, and his parents “for setting the example of community service from the time I can remember.”
