The state’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission has honored Stonington resident Lisa Tepper Bates with its Distinction Award.

Tepper Bates has been the executive director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness since 2013, and was honored as “a leader in efforts to improve housing and end homelessness,” according to an announcement by the commission.

Bates and two other recipients were honored Monday during the 32nd Annual Bell Ringing of the Liberty Bell to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at the state Capitol building.

During Tepper Bates’ tenure, Connecticut has achieved the distinction of being one of the first two states recognized by the federal government for effectively ending homelessness among veterans, and seen three straight years of a decline in homeless residents. She previously served as the executive director of Mystic Area Shelter & Hospitality (MASH).