After four years as consul of Portual, Pedro Carneiro will return to Lisbon.

As consul, Carneiro helped immigrants acclimate to the Greater New Bedford area. Of the 1.5 million Portuguese Americans in the United States, 350,000 of them reside in New England. Dartmouth houses the second highest percentage of Portuguese Americans, following Fall River.

"We have reached the end of a wonderful run in the Greater New Bedford area. [The replacement] will have big shoes to fill," said Selectman Shawn McDonald on June 5, as the Select Board recognized Carneiro with a citation.

Carneiro and his family moved to Dartmouth in August 2013. His three children — Madelana, Martín, and Miguel — attended Cushman School, DeMello Elementary, and most recently, Dartmouth Middle School.

"I am thankful to you for this recognition," replied Carneiro. "We all have enjoyed the family-friendly atmosphere of Dartmouth."

Carneiro added that although it will be hard to leave, he is looking forward to reuniting with his family in Portugal.