According to information provided by the Dougherty family, the GIS Room in the Lehigh County Government Center was named in honor of recently retired Lehigh County Commissioner Dr. Percy H. Dougherty.

Dougherty served as county commissioner for 28 years representing District 2.

GIS is the Geographical Information Systems. Dougherty is considered the leading advocate of getting GIS adopted in the county and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

Dougherty said the 28 years had gone by quickly. He said it is an honor to have the conference room named after him.

He recounted how he decided to run for county commissioner on a volcano in Guatemala. His friend, Matt Green, corroborated the story.

Lehigh County Commissioner Geoffrey Brace commented on Dougherty’s honor.

“A central point to Percy’s work as county commissioner was a dedication to making the Lehigh Valley a great place to be, whether as a resident, a visitor or a business owner,” Brace said. “He wove that thread through all of his work.”

“Given the incredible quality of life we enjoy in Lehigh County, the best words I can offer are simple: Well done, sir! And thank you!”

Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong commented, “He always had the constituents in mind. He was definitely bipartisan when it came to politics.”

Rick Molchany, director of general services, discussed Dougherty’s achievements, noting he worked with Dougherty for 15 years.

“Percy has been instrumental in leading Lehigh County’s farmland preservation, parks and recreation and comprehensive land use planning, all while promoting economic prosperity,” Molchany said. “His leadership to create a county GIS program has benefited the county by improving property assessment reviews.

“We have never named a specific area in the government center for anyone,” Molchany added. “Percy is deservingly the first.”

Lehigh County Commissioner Dan Hartzell expressed his thoughts.

“Despite his impressive educational achievements, his professional status and his many accomplishments for the community, there’s not the slightest sign of pretentiousness about Percy Dougherty.”