A night to remember for Paul Kuhns

Simply put: Feb. 12 was a very good night for Paul Kuhns.

The former Rehoboth Beach commissioner was named new chairman of the board of Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce and he was named 2015's recipient of the prestigious Mae Hall-McCabe Award.

The award is presented annually to a representative of the community for their commitment to service and is named for businesswoman Mae Hall-McCabe, one of the founding members of the chamber.

Kuhns was a part-time resident of Rehoboth before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he was working as an investment banker in New York City. After the attacks, in 2005, Kuhns and his wife, Anne Michelle, decided to leave the Big Apple and move to Rehoboth full time.

Since then, Kuhns has immersed himself in the community. He became a restaurant owner in 2006 when he became a partner in Arena’s Deli and later a part-owner of the Summer House.

Kuhns was elected as a Rehoboth commissioner, serving a three-year term, during which he ran for the mayor’s seat in 2008. Leaving office in 2009, Kuhns devoted himself to other organizations, becoming a member and later president of the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society and a board member of the Rehoboth Film Society and the Rehoboth-Dewey chamber.

Finally, this past summer, Kuhns added life-saver to his list of accolades after he pulled a struggling swimmer out of a strong rip current.

Presenter Mike Meoli said, “The Rehoboth-Dewey community is very fortunate to have a citizen like Paul Kuhns. He’s done so many things for so many people in this area that benefit all of us.”

As the new chairman of the board, Kuhns said he was looking forward to working with the chamber staff and board to sustain the chamber’s success.

Prior to passing the gavel to Kuhns, outgoing Chairman Keith Martin said 2014 was a good year for the chamber. Representing over 1,000 businesses, the chamber continued to grow while remaining financially strong, he said. Martin said during 2014, the chamber put on more than 100 events, promotions and sponsorships as local businesses served over 6 million visitors.

As a parting gift, Kuhns and chamber President and CEO Carol Everhart gave Martin a framed copy of the chamber visitors guides from his two terms as chairman.