Dwight Schar Biography

Dwight Schar is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of NVR, Inc., a Fortune 500 company that is the third-largest home builder (by revenue) in the United States. He currently serves as the company's Executive Chairman and Chairman of Executive Committee. He is also a part-owner of the Washington Redskins football team, and the former Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee. Schar is also a managing partner with Dan Snyder at Red Zone Capital, which owns Dick Clark Productions, Johnny Rockets Restaurant and Red Zebra Radio Stations. He lives in McLean, Virginia and Palm Beach where he bought Casa Apava from Ron Perelman at 1300 S Ocean Blvd.

Background

Dwight Schar grew up in rural northeast Ohio and graduated from Norwayne High School in 1960. He then attended Ashland University (then Ashland College) in Ashland, Ohio, where he majored in education. After graduating from Ashland in 1964, Dwight began teaching, and on the weekends, he had a job selling homes. Schar soon left teaching to pursue a career in home building. In 1980, Schar founded his own company, NVHomes, which eventually acquired his former employer, Ryan Homes, in 1987; the company was thus renamed NVR. Today, NVR is the corporate umbrella under which NVHomes, Ryan Homes, Fox Ridge Homes, Rymarc Homes, and NVR Mortgage operate.

Political Involvement

Along with his involvement in the Republican National Committee, Schar is also a well-known financial supporter of the Republican Party and numerous Republican candidates, making contributions through his company as well as private contributions from both his McLean, VA home and his home in Palm Beach, FL. In both the 2000 and 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential campaigns, Schar was not only a donor, but also a major fundraiser. In the 2000 campaign, Schar was a Bush "pioneer", the distinction given to those committed to raising $100,000 or more for the campaign. In the 2004 re-election campaign, Schar rose to the new level of "Ranger," raising $200,000 or more.

Philanthropy

In 2004, Schar donated $200,000 to Norwayne High School, his former high school in Creston, OH to go toward the construction of a new track, football stadium, and scoreboard. The school named the new track the "Dwight Schar Track" in his honor. In 2006, he donated $5 million to his alma mater, Ashland University, to help fund the construction of their new education building. The university named the new building "Dwight Schar College of Education" in his honor. In 2009 Schar again made a $7 million donation towards the new Ashland University on-campus football, track & field and Soccer facilities, named appropriately "Dwight Schar Athletic Complex". Then most recently he gave another $5 million to his alma mater for the purchase of Med Central College of Nursing, which is now known as The Dwight Schar College of Nursing. In 2011 he once again donated at least another $800,000 to his high school, Norwayne High School, to update the auditorium, putting in the latest lighting and sound technologies. The remainder of that money went on to update the band, art rooms, as well as an education and learning center for existing students and continuing education students linked to local universities. The auditorium was then renamed the Dwight Schar Performing Arts Center, in his honor. He has also made seven figure donations to George Mason University, INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Child Helps, Youth for Tomorrow and the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Other major gifts have been made to Rosarian Academy and Royal Poinciana Chapel.