Dwight Schar

Dwight Schar
Born	Rural northeast Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, business executive, philanthropist
Years active	1968–present
Known for	Founder of NVR, Inc.; Executive Chairman of NVR; minority stakeholder in Washington Commanders; financial chairman for the Republican National Committee

Dwight Schar is a prominent American entrepreneur and the founder of NVR, Inc., a Fortune 500 firm recognized as the third-largest home construction company in the United States by revenue. He holds the positions of Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Executive Committee at NVR. From 2003 until 2021, Schar was a minority stakeholder in the Washington Commanders and also acted as the financial chairman for the Republican National Committee.

Schar is widely acknowledged for his generous support in education and healthcare sectors, having contributed to various universities and medical centers to develop new facilities and specialized research institutes. Multiple buildings have been named in his honor to acknowledge these donations.

Early life and career

Raised in rural northeast Ohio, Schar completed his high school education at Norwayne High School in 1960. He obtained a degree in education from Ashland University in 1964. Initially working as an educator, he simultaneously sold homes during weekends before fully committing to a career in homebuilding.

Ryan Homes

Schar embarked on his homebuilding career in 1968 with Ryan Homes, where he managed land acquisition and development projects across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana until 1973. Subsequently, he was appointed vice president and group manager of Ryan Homes’ Washington, D.C., division from 1973 through 1977.

NVR

In 1980, Schar established NVHomes, which went on to acquire Ryan Homes in 1987 and later rebranded as NVR. He served as CEO and chairman of NVHomes between 1980 and 1987. Following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by NVR in 1992, the company restructured and emerged from bankruptcy in 1993. Schar resumed his CEO role from 1987 until June 2005 and continued as chairman until retiring in 2022.

Public Service and Board Memberships

Schar contributed to public service through his role on the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts at the Kennedy Center and acted as national finance chair for the Republican National Committee. His board memberships have included Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates, First American Banks, Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, Bell Atlantic Company of Virginia, and United Way of the National Capital Area.

Washington Commanders (formerly Washington Redskins)

In 2003, along with Robert Rothman and Frederick W. Smith, Schar acquired a combined 40% minority interest in the Washington Commanders (then known as the Washington Redskins), an American football team competing in the National Football League. This ownership stake was held until 2021 when they sold their shares back to majority owner Dan Snyder due to concerns over his leadership.

Philanthropy

Schar has made notable philanthropic investments in both education and healthcare fields. In 2006, he provided $5 million to Ashland University to fund a new education facility that was named the "Dwight Schar College of Education." In 2014, he contributed $12 million toward two buildings at Elon University. Two years later, he donated $10 million to George Mason University’s school of policy and government, which was subsequently renamed the Schar School of Policy and Government.

In healthcare philanthropy, Schar gifted $50 million in 2019 to create a pediatric oncology center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, now known as the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. In 2023, Dwight and Martha Schar pledged an additional $75 million to Inova Health System’s Heart and Vascular Institute, which was renamed Inova Schar Heart & Vascular Institute. They initiated "The Schar Challenge," inviting community members to match their donation by May 31, 2024. By June 6, 2024, Inova announced that it had raised $83 million, exceeding the challenge goal.

Political involvement

Schar plays a prominent role as a financial backer of the Republican Party and several Republican candidates, providing support through both his corporation and personal contributions from his residences in McLean, Virginia, and Palm Beach, Florida. In 1989, he supported Marshall Coleman, the Republican nominee for Virginia governor. It was later uncovered that one of Schar's businesses extended loans through the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

During the Bush-Cheney presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004, Schar acted as both a contributor and a key fundraiser. In the 2000 election cycle, he achieved "Bush Pioneer" status by raising at least $100,000, while in 2004 he elevated his fundraising efforts to become a "Ranger," securing $200,000 or more.

Congressional letter and investigation

Ryan Homes, a subsidiary of the NVR group, received correspondence from Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) requesting that the company cease its practice of forced arbitration. Supported by three additional senators, the letter urged Ryan Homes and NVR to eliminate arbitration clauses from their contracts and to stop mandating that homebuyers sign non-disclosure agreements when addressing disputes. An investigation conducted by USA Today revealed that Ryan Homes had neglected warranty claims from numerous customers across the country, potentially numbering in the hundreds.

Class-action lawsuit

Residents of Bella Collina, under the management of DCS Capital Investments, initiated legal action accusing Randall Greene of engaging in "racketeering, embezzlement, and conspiracy." The lawsuit contended that ownership of the homeowners association (HOA) should have been transferred to the residents rather than retained by DCS Capital Investments. After a year-long process, the federal court dismissed the case.