Brent Mayor Lesley Jones has been appointed MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
Councillor Lesley Jones, who has been a councillor for 17 years, received the MBE for her services to local government.
Speaking to getwestlondon this week, she said: “I knew about the award three-years-ago after a request was made by a group of residents.
“They said they were going to try and get me an award and had been pestering the Cabinet Office ever since!
“It's very cheering to know that residents made the effort to make me feel worthy and a good councillor.”
The great-grandmother, who was once a schoolteacher in Nigeria, was elected as Mayor of Brent for 2015-16 in a ceremony on May 20.
“I got the letter about the MBE about six weeks ago” she added.
“I had to be very quiet abut it, keeping it to myself and close family.
"This particular award is to do with all the work I do with the community.”
