Jennifer Schlicht, scholarship and advancement operations coordinator for the UT Martin staff in the UT Foundation Inc., received the 2026 Iris Festival Spirit of the Iris Award for her community and civic service. The award was announced in March ahead of the 47th annual festival, held May 1-6 in Dresden.
The Spirit of the Iris Award was named in honor of the late Bill Stallings, a Dresden business owner for many years and an advocate of the city and the Iris Festival.
Schlicht is a Dresden resident and is an alderwoman on the Dresden Board of Aldermen. She also serves on the executive board of the Weakley County Sports Hall of Fame and the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Advisory Board as a representative of Dresden.
Schlcht assists Jeanna Curtis-Swafford, vice chancellor for university advancement, and joined the UT Foundation Inc. in November 2021.
She also served briefly as the assistant to the dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs, and has more than 20 years of service to UT Martin, including 17 years with the Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking.
She was one of six recipients of the 2024 UTFI President’s Award.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award, and to be recognized by friends and those from our community is very special to me,” she said in an email interview. “I love Dresden, and I am excited about anything that brings a positive light to Dresden, and that is what the Iris Festival does.”
Schlicht was raised in Dresden, attended Dresden schools, graduating from Dresden High School in 1993. From an early age, she observed the spirit of service and community through the example of many mentors and community leaders she deeply admired.
After graduating from UT Martin and beginning her family life, she began serving in volunteer roles in Weakley County, and in 2009, when her children became active in the youth activities that were offered in Dresden, she became a steady and passionate volunteer.
Her commitment to youth programs has spanned more than 15 years. She began volunteering in the Dresden Youth Soccer League from 2010 to 2012, the Dresden Youth Basketball League from 2012 to 2018 and was a volunteer coach for the Dresden Middle School girls basketball team from 2015 to 2019. She served as a volunteer and officer for the Dresden Quarterback Club, including serving as co-president for two years during the 2019-23 seasons.
She also served on the Iris Festival Executive Board from 2019 to 2023.
“Dresden and many individuals that I have looked up to throughout my life have given me and my children countless opportunities,” she said. “I am proud to say that I am from Dresden, Tennessee. I always want what is best for Dresden and for its future, and remain committed to doing my part in making it the great place we cherish and call home.
“The Iris Festival is a wonderful time in Dresden. I have many memories of participating in parades as a young person and enjoy seeing how all the festival events bring out our community spirit. I am deeply honored to be selected as the recipient of the 2026 Tennessee Iris Festival’s Spirit of the Iris Award.”
The Tennessee Iris Festival in Dresden began in 1980 as an Easter celebration and soon transformed into a celebration of the iris, one of Tennessee’s state flowers.
More information about the Tennessee Iris Festival can be found at this site.
