NEWPORT-The Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service (SCHAS) will honor Tommy Bible as Citizen of the Year at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center at noon on Sept. 9.

Bible, currently general manager of Jefferson-Cocke County Utility District (JCCUD), has been employed by JCCUD since 1991.  Prior to his employment with JCCUD, he was an accountant, administrative manager, and assistant general manager at Newport Utilities from 1977 until 1991.

A graduate of Cocke County High School, he received his bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Tennessee. His wife, Linda, has taught school 30 years and currently teaches kindergarten at Newport Grammar School. Their children are McKinley Bible, a freshman at the University of Tennessee, and Jill Thomson, a graduate student at East Tennessee State University. Bible is the son of Juanita and the late Carroll Bible.

Bible received a TAUD Financial and Operational Excellence Award in June 1996 and a Tennessee Gas Silver Flame Award in June 2009.

He has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Newport since 1979, serving as president in 1995. For 20 years he was an election commission member, having served as chairman for 12 of those years. For 14 years he served on the Newport/Cocke County Economic Development Board of Directors and was chairman from 2003 through 2006. He was a Newport/Cocke County Partnership director from 2004 through 2010, serving as president from 2008-2010.

In addition, he served on the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 2001 through 2004. He continues to serve on the board of the Cocke County Education Foundation and as treasurer of the group as he has done since 2002. Since 1998 he has served on the Newport Federal Bank board of directors.

Professional memberships include the Tennessee Valley Public Power Accounting Association from 1977 to 1991, having served as president in 1989. He has been a member of the Tennessee Gas Association Board of Directors since 1993, and served as president during 2003-2004. From 1998 through 2004 he served on the American Public Gas Association Board of Directors and is currently serving a six-year term, which began in 2007.

Since 1995 he has served on the East Tennessee Small Customer Group Board of Directors and served as president from 2001 through 2003, in 2006, and again in 2010. In addition, he has served as a board member and treasurer with United Utilities.

In his free time, Bible enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, hunting, and an occasional round of golf.

Discussing the Citizen of the Year award, Bible said, "I was very honored to be chosen. I was humbled; of course anytime you are recognized it is an extremely humbling experience. You are only as good as the people around you, and I have been privileged to have a great board of directors and great employees."

The Cocke County SCHAS Citizen of the Year luncheon is a fundraiser for the non-profit agency, which was chartered by the state in 1970 to help elderly and disabled persons to remain as independent as possible with the highest quality of life possible. Services provided by the agency include shopping, meal preparation, bed changing, laundry services, cleaning kitchen and bathroom fixtures, sweeping, mopping, and dusting. Help with personal care such as bathing and dressing, companionship, and reminding about medication, is also included. SCHAS provides in-home care to the elderly.

This luncheon is a fundraiser to help SCHAS to better serve the elderly of the community.

All proceeds from the luncheon will be used to support the work of SCHAS of Cocke County. SCHAS programs are designed to assist families in caring for their loved ones; to give family members respite; and to maintain the independence of the frail or disabled person.

SCHAS is the only agency in the State of Tennessee accredited by the National Association of Hospice and HomeCare.

"Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service plays such an important role in our community. Anytime that someone can help the elderly or disabled stay in their own home as long as possible, you have a done a good deed. By helping this organization, you are helping your neighbor. I invite everyone to attend and encourage everyone to support this great agency," said Bible.

Advance reservations for the luncheon are required. The cost is $35 per person. To make reservations, or to get additional information about SCHAS, call (423) 623-5231.