Dean Weidner, visionary founder and chairman of Weidner Apartment Homes, has received the Chancellor’s Alumni Award for his advocacy for education and workforce development and his profound impact on students within UW-Stout’s real estate property management program.
A passionate advocate for education, career readiness, and developing the next generation of industry leaders, Weidner has contributed to six universities across the U.S. and Canada to establish or build upon programs that expand higher education opportunities in real estate and property management.
Weidner’s partnership with UW-Stout stands as a cornerstone of this commitment. These investments have not only elevated UW-Stout’s national reputation in property management education but have also transformed countless students’ futures.
Over his career, Weidner has donated $2.5 million to UW-Stout through the UW-Stout Foundation & Alumni Association to strengthen the real estate property management program and ensure students’ success.
“My long-term investment into the program at UW-Stout reflects my confidence in the curriculum that is being taught to students; the fact that educators in REPM have prior industry experience and can help to personalize the education with real world examples,” Weidner said.
“The workforce of the future requires an adaptable mindset of lifelong learners who continuously upgrade their technical skills as well as the soft skills that are valued by employers,” he added. “By partnering with colleges and universities, Weidner Apartment Homes can help shape the education of the upcoming workforce and embed the requirements of the industry into the curriculum. In this way, we are helping to create the workers we need, instead of merely trying to find them on the open market.”
Supporting future leaders who positively impact their communities
Weidner’s support ensures that students and faculty have the tools and spaces they need to succeed. By investing in campus learning environments, Weidner strengthens the connection between Stout and industry and gives students access to top-tier technology and resources.
In 2012, he donated $1 million to create the Weidner Center for Residential Property Management at UW-Stout, establishing a premier hub for academic excellence in the field. The center provides a state-of-the-art interactive learning environment. The classroom lab offers a realistic, cutting-edge business setting. The center also includes a study lounge, huddle rooms and an interview space for visiting employers.
In 2015, Weidner contributed an additional $500,000 to strengthen the real estate property management program further, and in 2023, he donated $1,050,000 to fund major scholarships for new and transfer students, making a high-quality education more accessible. Through two University Foundation scholarships that support 34 students annually and an ambassador role focused on recruitment, he is helping remove barriers and open doors for more students to succeed.
“The multifamily portion of real estate is possibly the best business ever, because we provide one of the three critical needs of life. Everyone needs air to breathe, food to eat, and shelter,” Weidner said. “We provide homes for short-term or long-term. Regardless of the economy, our product is needed. At the same time, it is a ‘hard asset,’ so it is not devalued by inflation. In fact, its value, if chosen well, increases.
“However, because real estate is a hard asset, it takes physical work, maintenance, frequent viewing and monthly financial review,” he added. “It also requires ‘people skills’ to assist in management, as well as thoughtful analysis and research. Consequently, if you are willing to work hard, set goals, and patiently work your asset, you will be greatly rewarded.”
Weidner’s advice for students and graduates is, “I adopted a wonderful saying many years ago, which has always given me a positive outlook, ‘Trouble is opportunity in work clothes.’”
Chancellor Katherine Frank thanked Weidner for his generosity and support of UW-Stout.
“Mr. Weidner’s incredible gift to support teaching and learning at UW-Stout will continue to impact students’ learning and career trajectory far into the future. He recognizes the value of our polytechnic approach to education at UW-Stout and how this approach produces future leaders in the workplace who positively impact their communities,” Frank said.
About Weidner Apartment Homes
Born in Chicago and raised in Colorado Springs, Weidner began his career in property management in 1977 after starting his company in Seattle. Weidner Apartment Homes has since grown into a leading force in the multifamily housing industry and is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington.
The real estate investment and management company seeks to improve residents’ lives with professionally managed, high-quality and comfortable apartment homes that allow them to thrive.
Weidner earned a B.A. in business from the University of Colorado and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from Fresno State University. Before solely focusing on his company, his early career included leadership roles in various operations and sales positions for Trans World Airlines. He then served as head of sales and marketing, and later at Alaska Airlines, and subsequently as an executive vice president for Chuck West’s Travalaska Tours, Cruise West and Alaska Sightseeing.
Under his leadership, Weidner Apartment Homes has achieved remarkable sustained growth to approximately 320 properties, comprising nearly 73,000 units, earning recognition as the 12th largest apartment owner in the U.S, by the National Multi-Family Housing Council. In the company’s 48 years of business, it has remained a privately held entity operating in 13 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, guided by a commitment to excellence and becoming the industry leader in every market it serves.
Weidner’s contributions to the industry have been widely recognized. In March 2020, he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association, honoring over 43 years of leadership and his dedication to elevating the property management profession.
In the past decade, Weidner Apartment Homes has employed more than 80 UW-Stout graduates and more than 160 interns from the real estate property management and hotel, restaurant and tourism management programs.
According to Career Services’ annual First Destination Report, 100% of recent REPM graduates are employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation, and they have an average starting salary of $58,000. UW-Stout’s real estate property management program is one of only a handful of its kind in the U.S.
