17 June 2009
Queen honours two local heroes
Two City of London Corporation staff have been honoured by the
Queen in her Birthday Honours list. Derek Smith, from the City
Surveyor's Department, and Sally Trotter, the City's recently
retired Assistant Traffic Manager, have both been honoured with an
MBE. The honours are listed on the national honours announcement,
which typically highlights the accomplishments of extraordinary
ordinary people [see Notes to Editors]. Full details on both
honourees are below.
Derek Smith has dedicated his entire working career of over 43
years to local government within London, beginning in 1965 at the
Greater London Council. He qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in
1973 and joined the City Surveyor's Department in 1986, where he
has been employed ever since.
"I am very honoured to be recognised for the work I have done
over the last 43 years in London," said Mr. Smith, 61, referring to
this honour. "I would like think I have achieved a reasonable
amount for the city in my years of service."
Noted by colleagues as determinedly professional and dedicated
to public service, Mr. Smith was instrumental in managing a number
of successful development schemes for properties both in the City
and the West End. As Property Director within the Department, he
has assumed responsibility for both the City's Estate and Bridge
House Estates, the two of which largely fund the City's charitable
grant giving activities through the City Bridge Trust.
Away from work, Mr. Smith joined his local St. John Ambulance in
1980, where he is currently Staff Officer (Youth) in the London
District area. During his service he has undertaken many public
duties, including the funeral of The Princess of Wales and
ceremonies at Buckingham Palace including garden parties for
disabled people. He is a serving Brother in the Order of St. John
and has previously been awarded the Brigade's service medal and two
bars.
Smith and his wife, Gillian, live in Hornchurch. They have two
sons, Mark and Barry, as well as two grandsons, Kyran and
Callum.
Sally Trotter retired this past November from her position as
City of London Assistant Traffic Manager after a 27-year-long
career with the City. .
"I am thrilled to be given this award for a job that I have
loved," said Miss Trotter, a resident of Stratford. "I have been
fortunate to meet some wonderful people during my 27 years, both in
the City of London Police and in the City of London Corporation and
have had the privilege of working with them. My thanks must go to
many of them who have made it possible for me to receive this
honour."
Miss Trotter began her career as a Traffic Warden in 1981. As a
Traffic Warden supervisor, she volunteered to undertake work with
the City Police after the IRA bomb attacks of the early 1990s and
provided back-up assistance in the manning of the check points set
up as a part of the City's Ring of Steel security initiative. She
has worked successfully on many projects, including the
implementation of a fixed penalty parking scheme in the City and a
pay and display scheme at Hampstead Heath. She also led the design
of a new partnership contract now used by the City Corporation for
its parking contractors.
Sally Trotter tireless dedication to the City can be best
typified by her involvement during the week of the Lord Mayor's
Show. As well as planning the parking enforcement operation
beforehand to clear the streets of parked vehicles, she can usually
be found working hands-on with the contractor suspending parking
bays into the Friday night before the Show weekend, out with the
removal truck from the early hours of Saturday, reinstating the
bays after the Show finishes, returning to work to supervise the
parking arrangements on Remembrance Sunday, and finally staying on
for the Lord Mayor's Banquet on Monday. None of this is demanded of
or expected by her job specification and is undertaken entirely
voluntarily.
Ends
Notes to editors