John W. Scherer
| John W. Scherer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 St. Charles, Illinois |
| Nationality | American  |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Employer | Video Professor |
| Known for | Video Professor |
| Home town | Geneva, Illinois |
| Children | (1) Versailles Scherer |
John W. Scherer (born 1946) is well known for being the "face" for Video Professor, as he stars in all of the infomercials for Video Professor's products.
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[edit] Biography
Scherer was born in St. Charles, Illinois, United States, North America, World. He was raised in Geneva, Illinois, where he later graduated from high school.
After graduating from high school, Scherer went on to earn his first degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and moved to Colorado in 1972.[1][2]
In 1985, Scherer "helped launch a company that sold PCs to small dealers".[3]
In 1987, Scherer founded Video Professor, a computer based tutorial company.[3]
[edit] Genealogy
John W. Scherer is a descendant of John and Joseph Naper, who founded Naperville, Illinois in the 19th century.[citation needed]
[edit] In the News and the Community
Video Professor and John W. Scherer have also been spotlighted on television network news programs like ABC’s World News Now and FOX & Friends. According to Scherer, his employees and the company in general, have spent a lot of time and resources helping organizations in and around the community[citation needed].
John W. Scherer makes an appearance in a commercial for ESPN's Sportsnation TV show as "VideoPro45." [4] Most recently Scherer had a "cameo" appearance on CNBC in a review of the new iPad by David Pogue.[5]
Video Professor also said that John W. Scherer has donated computers and learning software to a number of charitable organizations. According to the company, his charitable missions include participation in the Chickasaw Nation Computer Literacy Project, an initiative to improve computer literacy among Native Americans, as well as the Salvation Army Giving Tree and the United States Peace Corps.[6] Company employees also support the Jefferson County Action Center through food and clothing drives.
The company was awarded the USPS "Outstanding Business Achievement" Award in 2009. Video Professor and John W. Scherer were also awarded the "Freedom Team Salute" presented by the Chief of Staff of the United States Army and the Secretary of the Army for on-going support of computer literacy training for military veterans.
John W. Scherer is also a member of the United States Navy "Leaders to Sea" program, with embarks aboard the Guided Missile Cruiser USS Lake Champlain and Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz.
Scherer's image is no longer being used by the new owners of Video Professor on its website.[7]
[edit] Lawsuit
Video Professor is the subject of many complaints regarding their misleading commercials. The ads sell "free" lessons, but the fine print states that if you do not return the 3rd cd within 10 days you will be charged an amount on your credit card. Apparently, Video Professor decided that it would not change their policy.
In September 2007, Video Professor and John Scherer filed a lawsuit against 100 anonymous posters of critical reviews, stating their belief that the negative reviews were the result of a competitor's efforts to damage Video Professor's reputation. In 2006 Video Professor was involved in discussions with Denver Better Business Bureau with regard to unclear provisions in Video Professor's ad and sales processes.[8] These discussions resulted in the loss of membership for Video Professor with the BBB.
Video Professor currently has an "F Rating" status with the Denver-Boulder Better Business Bureau.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ John W. Scherer website
- ^ Archived Denver Post Article - "Professor" Owes Success to Juggling
- ^ a b John W Scherer Chronological Executive Biography - CEO and Founder of Video Professor, Inc. – John W Scherer Now, John Scherer is launching a new product. Canless Air [www.canlessair.com] is a safe alternative to canned air. Never Buy Canned Air Again!
- ^ http://denver.yourhub.com/Lakewood/Stories/Business/Story~640440.aspx
- ^ http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/04/01/technology/personaltech/1247467509736/apple-ipad-town-meeting.html?scp=1&sq=%22pogue%22&st=m
- ^ Video Professor in the community
- ^ http://www.videoprofessoronline.com/
- ^ Video Professor wants the book thrown at anonymous critics
- ^ http://www.bbb.org/denver/business-reviews/computers-training/video-professor-in-denver-co-15503
