KINGSTON — Though individuals are honored with the Person of the Year award, Jerry Kirschner said earning the awards was a team effort for him and his wife, Nancy Langwith.

“It was pretty much out of the blue,” Kirschner said. “What Nancy and I have looked to do is help Kingston continue to be a vital community. It’s really a team effort.”

Kirschner and Langwith are Persons of the Year for 2013, selected by the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

“We were thrilled,” Langwith said. “It’s quite an honor.”

The two moved to Kingston almost four years ago. During that time, they have become involved in many aspects of volunteerism.

Langwith was one of the founders of the North Kitsap Tourism Consortium and chairs the group. The consortium is a coalition of Port Madison Enterprises/Suquamish Museum, The Point Casino/Heronswood, Olympic Property Group/Port Gamble, the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce. The coalition’s mission is to promote tourism through joint marketing and advocacy.

Langwith also serves on the Kingston Citizens Advisory Committee and the events committee of the Kingston Chamber of Commerce. She chaired the KCAC Yack and Snack — an open house — in 2013 and is the co-founder and chairwoman of the Kingston Cove Yacht Club’s membership development committee. She also serves on the Greater Kingston Economic Development Council.

Langwith is an individual member of the Kingston chamber, the Kingston Stakeholders and the Kingston Cove Yacht Club. She enjoys playing classical piano.

Kirschner led the Passenger Only Ferry Advisory Committee; Langwith chaired its events subcommittee. Kirschner’s focus was economic development and he ran for Kingston Port Commission District 3. He now chairs the Greater Kingston Economic Development Council, comprised of representatives of the Kingston chamber, Kingston Citizens Advisory Committee, Port of Kingston, and Kitsap Economic Development Alliance. He is an individual member of the Kingston chamber, the Kingston Stakeholders and the Kingston Cove Yacht Club.

Do they ever have free time?

“We’re busy,” Langwith said, laughing.

After corporate careers, the two lived aboard their sailboat and sailed for 12 years. The two spent five years in the Caribbean, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and spent another five years in the Mediterranean. After spending a few more years in the Caribbean, the two sold their boat.

During those years, the two were searching for a place to settle. Along with settling abroad, the two considered the East Coast. To be closer to their three children and four grandchildren, they went west.

After driving from Seattle to the U.S./Mexico border, they ended up back in Seattle, eventually renting a home on Bainbridge Island.

The two finally settled on Kingston, which they were drawn to because of its ferry and boating community.

“[Kingston] looked like the exact community we were looking for, where we could get involved and be accepted,” Langwith said. “We were very pleased with that.”

There’s a “good foundation” for Kingston to grow upon, Langwith said.

That foundation includes businesses and individuals. The Persons of the Year are continually impressed by the amount of volunteerism in the community.

“It really got our attention that this really is a community of volunteers,” Kirschner said. Kingston is unincorporated, so many residents have stepped up to meet the needs of the community and that’s impressed him.

Building Kingston is a community effort, Kirschner said.