MENOMINEE, WI - Weidner Apartment Homes, a multifamily real estate investment and property management company, recently announced a $1,050,000 donation to the Stout University Foundation. This gift funds ongoing support for the University of Wisconsin-Stout Real Estate Property Management Program and $500,000 for scholarships benefiting incoming REPM Program students. This donation will be divided into 20 $5,000 scholarships granted over the next five years to new or transfer students declaring the REPM major. This value covers approximately one-third of the annual tuition at UW-Stout.
Weidner’s partnership with UW-Stout began in 2012 when the organization donated $1 million to create the Weidner Center for Residential Property Management in Heritage Hall. The company’s next donation came in 2015 when they donated $500,000 for additional program support. This recent gift brings Weidner’s total contributions to UW-Stout’s Residential Property Management Program to over $2.5 million.
“Our long-term investment into the real estate property management undergrad program at UW-Stout reflects my confidence in the curriculum that is being taught to students; the fact that the educators in the program have prior industry experience and can help to personalize the education with real-world examples; and that we’ve seen strong results in terms of the students that have been recruited to our team.” Dean Weidner, Weidner Apartment Homes’ Founder and Chairman, said, “I look forward to our continued partnership with the university and this program for many years to come.”
With 60 students enrolled in the program and 27 pursuing a Residential Property Management minor, UW-Stout’s program is already believed to be the largest of its kind in the U.S. In UW-Stout’s new First Destination report, recent graduates from the program reported 100% employment within six months of earning their degree. In the past decade, Weidner has hired 84 UW-Stout graduates and 161 UW-Stout student interns.
“There continues to be strong demand in the residential property management sector for workers to lead the day-to-day operations of the nation’s numerous multifamily housing communities,” Dean Weidner said. “To meet that demand, employers like Weidner Apartment Homes have looked toward career pathway programs that focus on applied learning, such as the one at UW-Stout, to identify, support and target students who are looking to grow their skills and move directly into the workforce post-graduation,” Dean Weidner added.
Chancellor Katherine Frank thanked Dean Weidner for his generosity and ongoing support of UW-Stout. “Mr. Weidner’s incredible gift to support teaching and learning at UW-Stout has already and will continue to impact students’ learning and career trajectory far into the future. He recognizes the value of our distinct 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: Founded by W. Dean Weidner in 1977, Weidner Apartment Homes is a real estate investment and management company, recognized industry-wide as an efficient provider of quality rental homes and a creative developer of new housing. To provide the benefits of regional and economic diversity, their properties are located in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Canada. The company is headquartered in Kirkland, WA. For additional information, visit www.weidner.com