2023 Huckleberry Festival Grand Marshall Dr. Jerry Lewis

Dr. Jerry Lewis will  be presented with the 2023 Huckleberry Festival Grand Marshall sash at the 2023 Huckleberry Festival Opening Ceremonies on Friday, September 8, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.

I was born and raised in the Puget Sound area of Washington. I grew up in poverty and was on my own
at a young age. I left high school my senior year to go into the construction trade, where I spent the
majority of the next 20 years as a contractor. Thirty-two years ago, I met my wife, Debbie. She grew up
in Mill A and worked for the Employment Security Department. She did not want to leave this area, so I
closed my construction company and pursued a dream of going back to school to earn a degree in public
education.
I went on to complete my adult high school diploma, Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree and
Teaching Certification, Master’s Degree, and Doctoral Degree in K-12 Teaching and Leadership.
My first year of teaching was for the Yakima School District as a Career and Technical Education
teacher. I was fortunate to be hired by the White Salmon Valley School District where I spent
the next 24 years, with 12 of those years as their superintendent.

My wife and I have six children. One of my sons is a police officer for White Salmon/Bingen, two
more are working, two are in college, and our youngest is a senior at Columbia High School.
Hobbies I enjoy include mountain climbing, hiking, and spending time at the beach. At the end
of the 2021 school year I retired, but found I missed the work. I currently serve as the half-time
superintendent for the Trout Lake School District. In April I returned to the White Salmon Valley
School District to volunteer as the part-time acting superintendent for a few months to assist
them through their financial crisis. I am so grateful for the years I have spent in public education
and this community, where I have been blessed with many wonderful memories. It has been a
more fulfilling and rewarding career than I could have ever imagined.

I am humbled and honored for this opportunity to be part of the Huckleberry Festival,
Jerry Lewis