The former head of the Northern Ireland civil service, Mr Gerry Loughran, has been awarded a knighthood in Queen Elizabeth's new year's honours list.
Others featured include former Ulster Unionist Lord Mayor of Belfast, Mr Jim Rodgers, and the chief executive of the North's Probation Board, Mr Oliver Brannigan.
Mr Loughran (60) was a university lecturer before joining the civil service. He headed the North's 30,000-strong civil service for two years until September.
He said he was privileged to accept his knighthood, which he regarded as "an affirmation of the appreciation of the exemplary dedication of the Northern Ireland civil service".
Mr Rodgers, an east Belfast unionist councillor, said he was delighted to become an OBE. "It was totally unexpected. I don't know who was responsible for putting my name forward but I am grateful to them."
Mr Brannigan, who received a CBE, has worked for the Probation Board for 30 years. He was appointed chief executive two years ago.
Five other Northern Ireland people were awarded CBEs in this year's list. They include the chairman of Ulster Carpet Mills in Portadown, Co Armagh, Mr Edward Brice Wilson; Prof Mary Bridget Hanratty, the head of nursing and midwifery education at the Beeches Management Centre; and Dr Robert Milligan McCracken, the chief veterinary officer in the Department of Agriculture.
Prof Elisabeth Trimble, acting head of clinical biochemistry for the Royal Group and Belfast City Hospital trusts, and the chief executive of the office of government commerce buying solutions, Mr David John Court, were also awarded CBEs.
Seven PSNI officers were also among those honoured. Insp Noel Lusty, who identified a car bomb and successfully evacuated tourists and traders at the Oul Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, two years ago, will receive a Queen's Police Medal (QPM).
Det Sgt Trevor Currie from Craigavon, Co Armagh, and Det Sgt John McIlveen from Belfast were also awarded the QPM. Sgt Elvin Leech, who led an underwater search team which recovered the bodies of three generations of the Green family after their fishing boat sank off the Co Down coast, will receive an MBE.
The Rev Margaret Ruth Patterson, the first woman to be ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, received an OBE.
The Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, congratulated all those honoured.
"Each individual has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of people here in Northern Ireland," he said.