While he has long been synonymous with business success in Little Norway, discovering Poulsbo two decades ago was an accident – albeit a fortunate one – Hern told the crowd.

“We ended up on Viking Avenue and saw a Ford dealership that had gone out of business and I asked why one wouldn’t work here,” he said. With the decision made to bring the dealership back to life, Hern said he had everything done except for putting a new sign in place and doing that meant attending a city council meeting.

However, the mayor at the time, June Atak, was committed to promoting business activity and getting things going, he said. “I felt that it was a city that, in time, would change and that that change would benefit us all,” Hern said. Hern, who is responsible for the Third of July fireworks and has been a major donor to Olympic College and a host of charitable organizations, said he doesn’t give for the purpose of receiving recognition.

In memory of Pearce Dressel and his efforts the chamber renamed its volunteer of the year award the Pearce Dressel Volunteer of the Year Award with Dolph Jaeger being its first recipient. In accepting the award, Jaeger, along with his faithful companion Bray, said there is a lot of satisfaction in being a volunteer.