$10 million new gift from Mark Scharnberg to university’s new business center raises his giving to $20 million
Cedarville University students, faculty, trustees and donors gathered in the new Stinger Plaza for the dedication of the Scharnberg Business Center.
The namesake of the building is Lorne C. Scharnberg, a trustee emeritus who served three consecutive terms as chair starting in 1994 before transitioning to emeritus status in 2018. Scharnberg’s son, Mark Scharnberg, wanted to honor his father and his passion for business; he donated $10 million, the largest gift in the university’s history, to the building plans and gained naming rights.
“I never doubted that [Scharnberg] wanted what was best for me, for Cedarville, and for the school of Business,” said White in that morning’s chapel about Lorne Scharnberg. “And I probably wouldn’t be here today without his constant mentoring and friendship.”
Plans for the building were shared at the 2018 Homecoming, four years later a groundbreaking ceremony took place and the building was finished in the summer of 2024. At the dedication, Cedarville president Dr. Thomas White remarked that the university finally had a building whose quality on the outside matched that of the faculty inside.
“Business is my life, it always has been, Cedarville just never had the facilities for it” said Lorne Scharnberg. “It is a great joy to finally have a building on this campus to promote recruitment and the turning out of men and women of God in business.”
Dr. Will Smallwood, Vice President of Advancement, opened the ceremony, shared his thoughts and hopes for the new building. Dean of the Robert W. Plaster school of Business Jeff Haymond and Dr. White spoke on the hours of hard work and dedication many people poured into creating a new space for students to flourish. Daniel Petek, president of Castek Aluminum and chair of Cedarville’s Board of Trustees, gave the dedication prayer. The ribbon was then cut by Smallwood, White, Petek, Haymond and several other important faculty and trustees.
After the ceremony, those in attendance with tickets were invited into the building for a tour and sessions hosted by the faculty of the Business, Communication and Cybersecurity programs.
“This is a beautiful building,” said Sherrie Woods, who contributed to the building and bought naming rights for an office space that she named after her late husband Duane Woods.
Duane Woods joined Cedarville University in 1987 and served as Academic Vice President for 18 years. He was an adjunct professor in the School of Business until his death in 2019. Sherrie Woods attended the dedication with her two children to take a picture with her late husband’s name on the plaque.
Outside the main conference room, a wall with the names of individuals and foundations who contributed to the building. The extensive list speaks to the Cedarville alumni and trustees’ care for the continual growth of the campus and current students.
Lorne Scharnberg served three terms as chair of the board and one year as vice chair. He joined the board in 1994 and served until moving to emeritus status in 2018. In 2007, Lorne Scharnberg was recognized as the Honorary Alumnus of the Year for his faithful service to Cedarville. He has also served on the Business Advisory Council for the school of business administration (SBA) and was named the 2005-06 executive-in-residence of the SBA.
Lorne and his late wife, Kathi, founded Katecho, Inc., a medical manufacturing business and a world leader in the manufacturing of hydrogel, in 1984. They also started Surmasis Pharmaceuticals, a contract pharmaceutical manufacturer. Kathi served the company as its chief financial officer until her passing in February 2018. Lorne remains the chief executive officer for Katecho.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Master of Business administration, Master’s in Business Analytics, Healthcare MBA, Master’s in Cybersecurity, MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Pharmd/MBA dual degree, MBA in Operations Management and Bachelor of Science in Economics programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking.