Pidge Collette has been described as a force of nature in her hometown of Sweetwater. For many years, she has volunteered for various organizations in Sweetwater and all over Monroe County. She has been a major contributor to the revitalizations of downtown Sweetwater. Serving as the Design Committee Chairperson, Pidge has logged over 1,000 volunteer hours over the past few years for Sweetwater Main Street, among other organizations to which she contributes her time and talents.

She volunteers with children and seniors in her church, First Baptist of Sweetwater. With the priorities of both conservation and historic preservation in mind, Pidge is a member of the Sweetwater Tree Board and Sweetwater Heritage Museum Board. She worked as a Junior High Secretary for decades and has “mothered” many children growing up in Sweetwater. If there is a local game, event, or charitable cause, you will find Pidge there!

Pidge, her husband, Dick, raised their two children, Susie C. Price and Greg Collette, in Sweetwater so they could “experience the love and closeness of a small community.” Several years ago, the family suffered the tragic heartbreak in the loss of Greg to an automobile accident. Pidge managed to pour her grief into helping her community and established the annual Rocky Top Run to raise funds to provide scholarships to Sweetwater High School seniors as a way to honor Greg. She always has a smile for everyone she meets. There are very few lives in the Monroe County area that Pidge’s work has not touched.