Ridgeland High School tilePatricia Skates, the vice chairman of the Soddy-Daisy City Commission and a government and economics teacher at Ridgeland High School in Rossville, was recognized Friday with the highest honor from the Chattanooga Bar Association.
Dr. Skates was presented the Bar's annual Liberty Bell award in recognition for his career in teaching history, government and economics in both the Hamilton County and Walker County school systems. Sam Elliott, an attorney who presented the Liberty Bell award, praised Skates for her efforts to educate and involve high school student in civic affairs.
Skates has helped register many high school seniors at the election commission, encouraged students to attend local government meetings and last year helped a Ridgeland high school team win a statewide stock picking contest.
Skates was a teacher at Red Bank high school in the Hamilton County school system from 1988 to 2010 and has taught at Ridgeland High School since then.