BATH — The award wasn’t just given to her – it was created in her name, too.

Dot McKenna, a member of the Main Street Bath board since the organization’s 2001 founding, was presented with the “Dot McKenna Award” at last month’s board meeting.

McKenna, who is retiring from the board, served as its assistant treasurer and treasurer through 2012, and volunteered on its design and organization committees.

Named Main Street Bath’s “Volunteer of the Year” at the 2010 Maine Downtown Conference, she said last week that she was honored by this new award.

The 86-year-old, who has lived in Bath nearly all her life, said she was resigning to give younger people “a chance to be counted, and enjoy our wonderful city and work for it.”

She was also involved in downtown beautification as a community representative on the Bath Business Association, the precursor to Main Street Bath.

“There’s plenty of opportunity for people to get involved in all facets of Bath,” McKenna said.

As the organization’s treasurer, McKenna “put in countless hours managing the details that ensure the fiscal health of an organization,” according to a Main Street Bath press release.

“As a volunteer on the Organization and Design committees she tracked RSVPs to annual meetings and ticket sales to ‘So You Think You Know Bath,’ serving as a gracious and welcoming greeter at these events,” the release added. “She negotiated the contracts for the flowers that beautify Bath’s downtown each summer. She was a key participant in the introduction of a new database for the organization in 2009.”

Main Street Bath added that McKenna’s “conscientious and diligent attention to detail and careful record-keeping provided invaluable support to the office staff and helped ensure that Main Street Bath remained fiscally responsible. Additionally, her deep roots and love for the community helped to guide decisions about Main Street Bath activities. Dot’s institutional memory helped smooth the transition for three successive executive directors of the organization.”

The new award will go annually to a “stalwart” supporter of Main Street Bath exemplifying McKenna’s kind of commitment to Main Street Bath’s mission, and who serves with honor, passion and dignity, according to Brian Hatch, president of the organization.

Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.

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Dot McKenna