Join us in congratulating the 2026 Golden Iris – Sandra Klutts! The Iris Festival is May 1-6, with the parade set for May 5.
A lifelong pillar of the Dresden community, this year’s Golden Iris recipient, Sandra Klutts, truly embodies the spirit of the town. Born in Martin but a lifelong Dresden resident, she is a proud member of the Dresden High School Class of 1961.
She is the mother of Jordan Klutts of Paris, who serves as Dyersburg State Chief of Police.
Sandra began her career at the Martin Manufacturing Company, where she held several roles in the office. After marrying her high school sweetheart, Jack Klutts, in 1963, she spent years working for the Kellwood Company in Greenfield. This position took her across the country—from the bustling streets of New York and Chicago to St. Louis and Little Rock—all while she and Jack raised their three children.
In 1978, Sandra joined Peoples Bank, where her passion for community engagement truly flourished. As a Public Relations officer, she didn’t just open accounts; she opened doors for local businesses. In 1980, during a meeting of the Dresden Business Association, Sandra proposed a simple idea that would change our town forever: an Easter Parade.
With no prior experience but a heart full of dedication, she chaired that first parade, coordinating the very floats, beauty queens, and horse-drawn buggies that laid the foundation for the Tennessee Iris Festival we celebrate today. She credits her “bank family” for their tireless support, but it was Sandra’s vision that acted as the “spark.”
Aside from her work in the community, Sandra is an accomplished porcelain doll maker, and she has curated a world-class collection that spans a century of history. A lifelong love of her childhood dolls, along with a single Rapunzel doll ordered from a magazine with her daughter, grew into a lifelong love for preserving these treasures.
Today, as our Golden Iris, Sandra has a message for the younger generations: “You be the spark.” She encourages every citizen to volunteer, attend board meetings, and take pride in their town. We honor her today not just for what she has done, but for the enduring tradition of community pride she helped ignite.