Dwight Schar

Businessman and philanthropist Dwight Schar ran the mid-Atlantic homebuilding operations for Ryan Homes until 1977. Ready to step out and into business on his own, at this point he left this role and, after waiting for two years due to contractual obligations, launched Northern Virginia Land and Homes Co. in 1980. Expanding rapidly during its first decade, the company had added a mortgage service to its roster of offerings by 1984, and in 1986 it was debuted on the public trading floor. This provided the company with the capital injection needed to take over Mr. Schar’s former employer and then-competitor, Ryan Homes. Valued at $312 million, the deal resulted in the formation of the largest homebuilding company in the United States at that time. Dwight Schar’s business – now named NVHomes – is a Fortune 500 company and remains one of the nation’s largest homebuilders.

Over the course of the past 10 years, Dwight Schar has turned his attention to philanthropic endeavors, focusing on the areas of education, children, and health. He has provided support to his college and high school alma maters and the alma maters of his children (one of whom is Spencer Schar), Elon University and George Mason University. Alongside his wife, Martha, Dwight Schar has made major financial donations to support the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, which provides a facility for the application and development of advanced cancer treatments and the personalized delivery of medicine through genomics.

Dwight Schar has generously supported the George Mason University, including through the endowment of a chair and leading efforts to support the Fuller Institute for Research on the Washington Region’s Future Economy and helping to create the Schar School of Policy and Government.