Herman J. Hernández was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Mission District, the only son and third child of immigrant parents. His father had come from El Salvador in 1937, and his mother, who was Jewish, had fled pre-war Germany around the same time.

He is a long-time Guerneville resident and a professional broker and owner of Hernandez Realty Co. He has built a legacy as a well-known and beloved community champion and bridge-builder who enjoys encouraging young persons to follow their dreams. As a visionary and founding member of Los Cien, he has been instrumental in raising the representation of Latinx leaders and the involvement of Sonoma County residents in being civically engaged.

Of his work promoting community engagement, he has said, “It’s so important, for me, to be able to sit and have a tamale or a taco or a pupusa and talk to people in the community, letting them know that people like me can only do so much. We need them, too. In between working hard to provide for their family, we need people to be involved.

Herman is married to his wife of 4o years, Guillermina, and is the father of Herman G. and Daniela Maria Hernández. He has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2019, he received the Citizen of the Year Award from the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber. In 2022, he received the Wetzel Community Leadership Award from the Healthcare Community Foundation, and in 2023, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Sonoma State University.