Jacksonville, Fla. (November 18, 2014) – The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida honored local attorney and dedicated civic leader William E. (Bill) Scheu with its Prize for Civic Engagement tonight at an event celebrating The Foundation’s 50th anniversary.
“Over the years, the public services rendered by our partners locally and nationwide have brought tremendously good and valuable publicity to the firm, or to ‘The Institution’ as some of our deceased judges used to call us. Last night, my chest swelled with pride as I attended the party celebrating the award of Civic Engagement, which is the highest honor and only the second time it’s been given in the Foundation’s history, to our own Bill Scheu. Thanks Bill for carrying on the tradition,” said Charlie Towers, Jr., the Firm's patriarch.
The Prize for Civic Engagement pays tribute to Scheu’s enduring legacy of servant leadership. It was created by The Community Foundation in 2006 to recognize citizens in Northeast Florida who speak out courageously for the common good on matters of civic importance. The first—and until now, only—recipient of the Prize was the current chairman of The Community Foundation’s board of trustees and fellow Rogers Towers shareholder, Bill Brinton, who won in 2007. Selected by a committee of community stakeholders, The Prize for Civic Engagement includes a bronze statue created by local sculptor Derby Alloa and a check for $10,000 from the Foundation’s unrestricted funds.
“Bill Scheu embodies all the aspects that this prize was originally created for—he stands resolutely for ‘civic virtue against public indifference or the winds of uninformed public opinion or private interest,’” noted Brinton. “He has earned his rock solid reputation as a consensus builder and a man of unquestionable integrity, and has patiently guided countless conversations with thoughtful candor to advance the public good.”
Brinton continued, “An integral part of The Community Foundation’s mission is to build a better community, and Bill’s Scheu’s tireless pursuit of solutions to difficult issues is emblematic of our work. Our selection committee described Bill as a ‘civic Superman,’ and noted that he’s often been called ‘the City’s unofficial problem resolver.’ I can’t think of anyone who more deserving.”
A Jacksonville native and nationally recognized real estate lawyer at Rogers Towers, Bill Scheu has been in the spotlight most recently for leading the 11-member Jacksonville Retirement Reform Task Force, which has been grappling with the City’s obligation to the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension fund. Among the many thorny issues he has helped the community work through over the years are the Blodgett Homes public housing controversy in the mid-1980’s and the settlement of Duval County’s decades-old school desegregation case in the mid-1990’s. A man of deep religious faith, Bill was recently chosen to be the Interim President for the Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta.
About Rogers Towers, P.A.
Rogers Towers, P. A., founded in Jacksonville in 1905, provides counseling and legal services from offices in Jacksonville, Amelia Island, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay. Rogers Towers’ clients include Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, investor and municipally-owned companies, growing businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Rogers Towers’ attorneys have been recognized on such lists as The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Super Lawyers and the Florida Trend Legal Elite. The firm provides services in the areas of: Banking and Financial Law; Business Law; Construction Law; Corporate Law; Labor and Employment Law; Environmental Law; Eminent Domain; Elder Law; Family Law; Health Law; Immigration; Intellectual Property; Insurance; Land Use; Lender Liability; Litigation; Public Finance; Real Estate; Securities, Taxation; Transportation and Logistics; Wills, Trusts and Estates. For more information, visit www.rtlaw.com.
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Contact: Ashley Ruiz
Phone: 904.346.5901
