A vision made real: Weidner's $10 million gift positions OSU as real estate education leader

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu

A few years ago, Dean Weidner stopped on a sidewalk and greeted a young manager-in-training at a corporate event in Woodinville, Washington.

Fresh out of college, Konrad Olbert introduced himself.

“I’m from Oklahoma,” he said.

Weidner lit up. The chairman and founder of Weidner Apartment Homes correctly guessed where Olbert earned his degree. All the way in the Seattle area, Oklahoma State University alumni had a reputation within Weidner’s multinational company.

Hardworking. Dedicated. Career-ready.

Those strengths inspired Weidner and his associates to keep hiring Spears School of Business  graduates like Olbert, now the community director of Indigo Apartment Homes, a Weidner Apartment Homes property in Oklahoma City.

In November 2025, Weidner took his commitment to OSU a leap further. The visionary entrepreneur made a $10 million gift to establish the Weidner Business and Real Estate Center.

“It’s going to transform a lot of students’ futures,” Olbert said.

This was Weidner’s largest and last university gift before his death in March 2026.

At 83, he left a tremendous legacy for Spears Business.

On the Business Building’s third floor, the Weidner Business and Real Estate Center will merge a world-class education with scholarship access and professional development opportunities across residential, commercial and industrial real estate.

The center complements the Weidner Real Estate and Property Management bachelor’s degree program, which is also made possible by Weidner’s gift. The Department of Finance, Department of Economics, and School of Hospitality and Tourism Management partnered to launch this growing program — the first of its kind in Oklahoma — in fall 2025.

Weidner had a vision for real estate’s future. Develop motivated students into well-rounded professionals with the technical and soft skills to meet the industry’s rising need for talent.

Spears Business answered the call.

"Mr. Weidner championed property management education across North America, demonstrating that real estate requires active, dynamic leadership,” said Dr. Brij Thapa, Spears Business vice dean. “His impactful gift transcends traditional philanthropy; it is a vital partnership that bridges academic study with real-world industry demand.”

Man with a plan

Born in Chicago and raised in Colorado Springs, Weidner served as Alaska Airlines’ first vice president of marketing.

With inspiration from his parents, he also dabbled in real estate, starting Weidner Apartment Homes in 1977 with one Seattle property. Eventually, Weidner turned the side gig into a full-time job, extending his company’s footprint across North America.

“It’s almost like he had a crystal ball,” Williams said. “He knew which markets to go into.”

Furthermore, he knew his business was all about people.

Working to shed the industry’s old image of apathetic landlords, Weidner sought to employ skilled property managers who treat residents with compassion.

“If there is one word that could really capture Mr. Weidner’s vision, it’s the word ‘community,’” Kim said.

To develop team-oriented professionals, Weidner turned to academia.

Weidner, who had his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and his MBA from California State University-Fresno, contributed to real estate and property management initiatives at multiple public universities.

In 2018, he made a $1 million gift to OSU, funding the Property and Real Estate Management undergraduate certificate and establishing the Dean Weidner Property Management Endowed Scholarship Fund.

OSU alumni achieved success in Weidner Apartment Homes’ manager-in-training program, and Weidner’s gift motivated Spears Business to do more.

Thapa fostered the ongoing relationship between Spears Business and Weidner Apartment Homes. When Weidner learned that OSU was developing a full-fledged bachelor’s degree program in real estate and property management — a rarity among business schools nationwide — the businessman proposed a student-focused center to go with it.

OSU leadership built a plan, but an exclusive naming opportunity bundling the center and degree program would require a larger gift than Weidner had ever made to a university.

Williams knew Weidner well. She asked, how would he feel if he named the center but let an industry competitor name the academic program?

The chairman answered with $10 million, becoming the benefactor of both.

“I know that he would have been very happy and very proud of what OSU has done with the donation so far, how quickly OSU acted on that donation and what the plans are going forward,” Williams said.

Back to the future 

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast a 4% increase in employment for real estate, property and community association managers from 2024-34.

Employers, including Weidner Apartment Homes, seek tech-savvy applicants to serve internet-first shoppers.

“Now, our industry really utilizes skill sets needed across every business function,” Kim said. “AI and technology have really become more of a strategic player in shaping the future of the apartment property management business.”

James Madden, a May 2026 economics graduate who landed a job in insurance broker Gallagher’s Los Angeles-based real estate division, understands this reality. During his time in Stillwater, he noticed online apartment listings improved from low-quality photographs to detailed 3D tours.

Madden came to OSU from Madrid after being awarded a $50,000 out-of-state achievement scholarship. He said Spears Business does a great job of preparing students to work in real estate through courses such as Real Estate Economics, taught by Dr. Xiaojin Aaron Sun, an expert in the field.

Although Madden graduated before the Weidner Business and Real Estate Center’s opening, he attended the spring panel and enjoyed a conversation with Kim.

“It really speaks to the sort of opportunities that these programs will bring to students,” Madden said.

Weidner didn’t have to be an alumnus to see what makes OSU special. Echoed by his team today, his business philosophy matched the Cowboy Code. Weidner’s father taught him how to do the hard work — maintenance, painting and turning apartments — to keep communities running.

With a portfolio nearing 75,000 apartment homes, Weidner didn’t lose that personal touch. Late in life, he selected exterior details for new communities such as Woodin Creek Village, where he met Olbert and complimented OSU.

Olbert cherishes that conversation. The community director from Mustang, Oklahoma, honors the late founder’s vision, encouraging students to explore paths in real estate with support from Spears Business and Weidner’s gift.

“There is so much room to grow in different ways,” Olbert said. “It’s not entirely linear. If you really excel in one area, there is a whole branch of careers and jobs you can go into from there. Whatever your passion is, you can find it.”

Story by: Hallie Hart | Engage@Spears magazine
Photos by: Aaron Murphy, Cole Weiberg