Meet the Foundation

Founder/President – Scott Van Duzer – Scott has only had one job in his entire life – making pizza. And while he likes to refer to himself as a “simple pizza man”, the rest of the community knows Van Duzer as a savvy business professional, marketing genius, and genuine humanitarian. In 2008, VanDuzer, long known for his generosity and community spirit, gathered with friends and colleagues to create the Van Duzer Foundation, focusing efforts on residents of St. Lucie County. Van Duzer has been honored with many awards and recognized for his kindness, but the acknowledgment most rewarding to the “simple pizza man” is seeing how many of the families helped by the Foundation come back to help support and show encouragement to the next family being helped.

Vice-President – Dawn Van Duzer – A Critical care nurse by day, Dawn Van Duzer is on hand for every event to help show support for the Foundation’s work in the community. A veritable dynamo of caring and common-sense, Dawn Van Duzer provides hands-on help at the many Van Duzer Foundation events and fundraising activities.

Treasurer – Tony Schwab, Esq. – The most organized member of the Van Duzer Foundation Board, Schwab ensures a general sense or order and maintains a tight schedule at board meetings. He is also the pragmatic member of the board, helping ensure that the group neither takes on more than it can handle, nor promises more than it can deliver.

Secretary – Wendy Dwyer – Partner in the creative team at Gorilla Magic Marketing and Public Relations, Dwyer and business partner Mitch Kloorfain handle all the marketing and publicity which have helped make the Foundation successful and have garnered international support and press. When she’s not crafting press releases or creating collateral materials for events, Dwyer is a freelance writer and teaches at Indian River State College.

Paul Hiott – The undisputed King of Logistics, Hiott, the retired director of the St. Lucie County Department of Veterans’ Services, is always hard at work before an event to set up and long after it’s over to break down. In the interim, Hiott works tirelessly to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. When he’s not coordinating logistics, Hiott is the first to agree to arrive in costume – any costume, to help promote a cause, spark an interest, or garner public support.

Members of the Van Duzer Foundation Board of Directors are delighted to welcome Dr. Shamsher Singh of Port St. Lucie to their small, active foundation board. Long known for his philanthropy in St. Lucie County, the humble dermatologist has been quietly helping to support a number of charitable organizations throughout St. Lucie County, and is one of the principal donors to the Big Heart Brigade and Mustard Seed Ministries’ Annual Thanksgiving Day Feast in Fort Pierce. Most recently, he donated several thousand books to the children of the St. Lucie School District to help encourage a love of reading through ownership of books.

Impressed by the grassroots efforts of the Van Duzer Foundation, which has raised and donated more than $250,000 to local families in need since its inception just under three years ago, Dr. Singh participated in the Van Duzer Foundation’s recent fundraiser to help Port St. Lucie resident Paul Duren, who is battling Stage Four Melanoma. “I was moved by the Foundation’s efforts to help this family and so many others,” said Dr. Singh. “The members of the board were active, passionate, and completely dedicated to helping Mr. Duren and his family through a difficult time. I was happy to be able to help, and it was a privilege to work with such a fine group of individuals. I am honored to serve on the Van Duzer Foundation Board of Directors, and look forward to a long relationship helping serve St. Lucie County families in need.”