An experienced civil engineer, Charles Scharf has owned and operated Erosion Specialists in Barrington, IL, for more than 35 years. Working on drainage systems as well as a range of major erosion projects, he employed 55 full-time workers at the height of business operations. Charles Scharf’s accomplishments with Erosion Specialists include building or rebuilding multiple modular, poured-in-place, and sheet pile structural retaining walls. He has also overseen the completion of large projects to stabilize the banks of the DuPage and Chicago rivers.

In addition to his extensive work in the erosion-prevention sector, Mr. Scharf has constructed several houses and served as chairman of the Rolling Meadows Zoning Board of Appeals. His hobbies include collecting 1960s muscle cars and off-roading in the deserts of Arizona. For the past 30 years, he has given back to the public as a patron of Boys Town, a national nonprofit organization that provides foster care and other services that benefit children and families.