The endowment ensures the mission of the Schultz Center will continue in perpetuity
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — November 5, 2026 — A new endowment of $1.6 million at The Community Foundation will ensure the legacy of Frederick H. Schultz continues, along with the mission of the Schultz Center that bears his name.
The late Fred Schultz was a Jacksonville leader and champion of public education who served as Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Following the New Century Commission’s research on the status of public education in Duval County in the late 1990s, he spearheaded the fundraising of more than $8 million to create the Schultz Center, which opened in 2002 to provide world-class professional development to teachers in Duval County and across the state.
After 25 years of educational excellence, the Schultz Center transitioned operations to Duval County Public Schools on July 1, 2025. The nonprofit’s remaining assets were transferred to an endowed advised fund at the Foundation, which will make grants in perpetuity to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for students in public school districts throughout Northeast Florida.
“Fred was a visionary. He made the Schultz Center possible through his own strength of will, pulling people together to fund it and serve on its board,” said W.C. Gentry, a donor and longtime education proponent who also credited Lynda Lewis, the first executive director, for her leadership at the inception of the Schultz Center. “The community came together to say we need teachers who provide a high-quality education to our children, and the Schultz Center was the answer to that. It’s come full circle with the fund at The Community Foundation, which will put those resources back into the community that gave them in the first place.”
Born from Fred Schultz’s vision to create a state-of-the-art facility for Duval County educators, the Schultz Center was established through public-private partnerships, leveraging over $20 million in grants and gifts. Over the course of its history, Schultz has supported professional learning for teachers in 47 counties throughout the state, supported teachers and leaders in over 620 schools, and trained over 10,231 teachers. Programs included the First Coast Scholars, which allowed 200 teachers to attend a week-long academy at Princeton University, the North Florida Regional Career Academy Council, the Schultz Center Principal Academies, which won the Outstanding Professional Learning Practices Award from the Florida Association for Staff Development, and the Schultz Institute, which offered online endorsement courses for many subject areas.
The decision to create an endowed advised fund was made by the Schultz Center’s board of directors: Kelly Barrera, Lester Bass, Tammie Brooks-Evan, Tia Brown, J.F. Bryan, IV, Gail Cook, Megan Heiden, Stephanie James, Simmie Raiford (Ex-Officio and former Executive Director), Joseph Scherer, and W.C. Gentry.
About The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida (www.jaxcf.org), Florida’s oldest and one of its largest community foundations, works to stimulate philanthropy to build a better community. The Foundation helps donors invest their philanthropic gifts wisely, helps nonprofits serve the region effectively, and helps people come together to make the community a better place. Now in its 62nd year, the Foundation manages more than $809 million in assets as of 12/31/2025 and has made more than $925 million in grants since inception.
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Contact: Stephanie Garry Garfunkel
VP, Strategic Communications
904-224-7208 | sgarfunkel@jaxcf.org