The winner of Issaquah’s top environmental award this year played a major role in ensuring the Talus and Highlands communities were built with sustainability in mind.

Mayor Ava Frisinger honored former council member Maureen McCarry with the Ruth Kees Award Monday.

The presentation was filled with deep emotion for the city’s leadership, as McCarry stepped down from the council in January after a Lou Gehrig’s disease announcement.

Unable to speak clearly or walk, McCarry had husband Tom Knollman accept the award.

“When we last sat together, I told my husband that the worst part of my challenge was the inability to say thank you, and that has not changed, but as Lou Gehrig said, ‘Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth,'” he read aloud from McCarry’s statement.

The award came with a $500 prize, a tree planted in her name and a piece of artwork. McCarry requested the money be given to the Issaquah Environmental Council to continue to bless the city.

The city’s two major planned developments are known nationally for being successful examples for smart growth initiatives, Frisinger said.

In addition to her work in development, McCarry worked on a transfer of development rights project, that lead to the preservation of 101 acres on the foot of Tiger Mountain.

She was also the major backer of the city’s tree ordinance, which is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the city’s tree canopy, Frisinger said.

The mayor also declared March 21 Maureen McCarry day, for her instrumental work in bringing the Swedish Medical Center to the Highlands.

“When I became weak, I heard your concern, and your voices gave me strength,” McCarry said in the statement. “We are all sincere caregivers, both about our environment and importantly about each other. This commitment makes our Issaquah our great home.”