President Steve Poskanzer told Wally Weitz ’70 that chairing Carleton’s Board of Trustees would be “fun and easy.” Having watched three previous chairs in action, Weitz, who has served on the board since 2000, thinks Poskanzer might have used “a little recruiting license.”
Joking aside, Weitz is looking forward to leading the board. While the family name is a permanent campus fixture thanks to the Weitz Center for Creativity, the Omaha native—who heads Weitz Investment Management—has been working behind the scenes in various capacities since 2000. He and his wife, Barbara Veach Weitz ’70, served as cochairs for Carleton’s $300 million capital campaign, which was successfully completed in June 2010.
“I have found that the professors are as dedicated and engaged in teaching as I’d remembered—and that the students are smarter than I remembered,” he says.
What will you bring to the role of chair in terms of leadership style? My approach in moderating meetings and working with committees is to err on the side of simplicity and openness. I can be a little impatient about getting to “outcome,” but over the years I’ve come to appreciate the value of good process. No doubt I will be on the receiving end of some teachable moments.
Carleton does a lot of things really well. What do you hope to build on? The world needs more smart, creative liberal arts graduates. I’m proud of the way we remain focused on this goal and upgrade our capacity to meet it. I’m regularly impressed with the imaginative ways faculty members find to collaborate across disciplines, and respond to and stimulate student curiosity. I also get the sense that we have deepened our relationship with the Northfield community over the past several years. I’d like to see that carried further.
Why did you decide to support the creation of a center for creativity? My wife and I and our kids like music, art, cinema, and theater. Our son [Roger Weitz ’99] runs Opera Omaha. Creativity is an area of passion for us, and we want to make sure Carleton students have as many tools as possible to express their creative ideas.
Why is it important for you to maintain your connection to Carleton? As a student, I had good friends and professors who challenged me. It made Carleton a terrific place to be. Whenever I began to take it for granted, comparing notes on college experiences with my friends from home made me realize what a special place Carleton was.
Most of my trips to campus are for trustee meetings, which are heavily scheduled. But I like dinners in faculty homes and talking with students about the work they’re doing and their travels. Barb and I always try to get to one of the local pizza places that makes a good replica of the “Bill’s Special.” That was an important part of Carleton life in the ’60s.