Arnold & Porter senior policy advisor, former U.S. Representative Ron Kind has been appointed by His Majesty The King as an Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). This honor is in recognition of Rep. Kind's services to the UK-U.S. relationship.
While in Congress, Rep. Kind co-chaired the bi-partisan U.S.-UK Caucus and the U.S.-British Inter-parliamentary Caucus. These groups were designed for members of both Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom to promote closer relations and understanding with members of both U.S. Houses of Congress and other U.S. political and leading figures.
The OBE is one of the five classes of appointment to the Order of the British Empire. The honor was instituted by King George V during World War I as a way to reward individuals in non-combative military roles. The honor was later expanded to reward the contributions of civilians and members of the armed services for charitable work and public service, as well as contributions to the arts and sciences. In addition to the five classes of the Order also includes the British Empire Medal presented to those who have contributed to service in their community.
The five classes of the Order of the British Empire are as follows:
- Knight and Dame Grand Cross
- Damehood/Knighthood
- Commander
- Officer
- Member