The Port Washington North Board of Trustees honored Irwin Kellner for his five decades of service on the village’s planning board at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Kellner was born on Oct. 4, 1938, and is a renowned economist. He has worked as a chief economist for several banks and as the Hofstra University Chair of Economics.

He joined Port North’s planning board on April 3, 1972, and served until the end of his term in April 2022. Village officials honored him for his devotion with a proclamation.

Kellner was unable to attend the meeting due to medical reasons. His family, including his wife, Ann, whom he married in 1961, accepted the plaque on his behalf.

“When you’re normally in a board position, you get the person and you get the intellect,” Trustee Steve Cohen said. “Have you in Irwin’s case, he never hesitated to go above and beyond.”

Cohen added that learning from and being around Irwin was a tremendous experience. He recounted how Kellner put him in touch with the then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi the day after he made a passing remark about him.

“I just wanted to share that because that sort of goes above and beyond the call of duty, so to speak, in terms of helping out the residents,” he added.

Kellner helped to transform the village into what it is now, according to Mayor Robert Weitzner.

“Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that Irwin Kellner be honored this day and henceforth for the wisdom and good counsel he so generously shared with the village of Port Washington North for an unprecedented 50 years,” he read to attendees.

The next Port Washington Board of Trustees meeting will be on July 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall.