Her Majesty the Queen has awarded an honorary OBE (Officer, Order of the British Empire) to Magnolia's David Dougherty, a world leader in recycling market development in Seattle, the United Kingdom and other countries.
The British Consul-General of San Francisco Martin Uden presented the OBE to Dougherty at a ceremony in the Mayor's office on March 9.
In announcing the award, Uden said: "Every struggle has its heroes, and the battle for a clean, sustainable environment is no different. David Dougherty has helped both Washington state and the United Kingdom raise their efforts in recycling.
"I am delighted that his international contribution has been recognized by the award of an honorary OBE," Uden continued.
Mayor Greg Nickels said he was "thrilled" that Dougherty was being recognized for "his international work to make this a healthier planet."
"We in Seattle are proud of our long history of environmental protection," Nickels said, "particularly our recycling programs, and to have David as a global ambassador for that ethic is especially pleasing."
The honor recognizes Dougherty for being a pioneer in developing new applications for recovered waste materials and in re-tooling existing manufacturing industries to use recycled material in lieu of sole reliance on virgin material.
"I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Her Majesty The Queen," Dougherty said. "It is like no other award I could ever dream of receiving.
"I think it is fitting to be presented with this honor in Seattle where recycling is so successful," he continued. "The contributions I have made to waste recovery in the UK and other countries stem in large part from the work initiated here in Washington state in the 1980s."
Governor Christine Gregoire, in a congratulatory letter, commended Dougherty for his "commitment to a healthy environment and sustainable future."
Dougherty has been a world leader in recycling market development for over 15 years. He has made a notable contribution to the development of recycling in the United Kingdom in the last seven years.
Dougherty acquired a notable international reputation as a result of 10 years' pioneering activity in the United States, where he was founding director of the Clean Washington Center (CWC) in Seattle.
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