Scott Rigell, 50, is a lifelong Republican, community leader and business owner from Virginia Beach, Virginia. The founder and Chairman of Freedom Automotive in Virginia Beach, Scott and his wife Teri own automobile dealerships in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake which employ more than 240 people. He is a past president of the Hampton Roads Automobile Dealers Association.
Scott grew up in a middle-class family in Titusville, Florida. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, rising to the rank of Sergeant before an honorable discharge after six years. Scott earned his B.B.A. from Mercer University and his M.B.A. from Regent University in Virginia Beach.
Since the Republican Revolution of the early 1990s, Scott has financially supported and volunteered for dozens of local and statewide Virginia Republicans, including Bob McDonnell, George Allen, Mark Earley, Jim Gilmore and Oliver North. He was a founding member of the Tusk and Trunk Club and is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Scott was appointed to the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board by Governor Allen.
Scott recently completed six years of service as a board member of Horizons Hampton Roads, a non-profit organization offering a unique summer enrichment experience to low-income students who attend public elementary or middle schools in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth. He is also a co-founder and board member of Friends of St. John"s University, which benefits its namesake school in Dodoma, Tanzania.
Since founding Freedom Automotive in 1991, Scott has served many community organizations, including the local chambers of commerce and economic development corporations. He has volunteered extensively for the local chapters of the United Way and the Boy Scouts, and in 2001 the VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads board selected Scott to receive their Corporate Volunteer Leadership Award. In 2007 Scott served as the Dinner Chairman for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.
Scott also served as a volunteer Mentor at First Colonial High School and a Partner-In-Education at Willoughby Elementary School. Scott and Teri are members of Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, where Scott serves as an elder. They are the proud parents of four grown children: Lindsey, Mallory, Justus and Shannon and a new grandson, Parks.