Our Founder

At a young age, Herbert Scheidel displayed a strong work ethic. Through hard work and determination, he became successful in business, eventually serving as CEO and President of a private company providing educational products for teaching English to Asian children and adults. Herbert Scheidel was a caring man who reached out to people. He lent others inspiration and encouragement through the sharing of articles or books he had read and through inspiring words and gifts, never expecting anything in return. Each success he encountered throughout his life was mirrored by commensurate expansion of his generosity.

Desiring to become more actively involved in philanthropy, Herb Scheidel and his wife established the Scheidel Foundation, as well as scholarship endowments at both the University of North Florida and Florida State College in Jacksonville.

A longtime friend of Herb’s aptly described him as “a force.”  As his friend explained, Herb defied all odds to shape life as he envisioned it, as illustrated in his journey with stage IV kidney cancer later in life. Exploring integrative methods of medicine and with tremendous support from his wife, Herb lived nine active and joyful years following his cancer diagnosis. This not only gifted his family and friends with more time together, but the additional years provided Herb with the opportunity to heal and grow as an individual as he worked on physical, emotional and spiritual levels to heal himself. The footprint he left, both in his personal and philanthropic acts, continues on in our family and our Foundation.