Ronald Weiser

Ron Weiser is an American businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia who served as chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from February 2009 through January 2011 and from February 2017 through February 2019.[1] Weiser is a 1966 BBA graduate of the University of Michigan.

Ron Weiser
Member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2017
Preceded by	Laurence Deitch
Chair of the Michigan Republican Party
In office February 11, 2017 – February 23, 2019
Preceded by	Ronna Romney McDaniel
Succeeded by	Laura Cox
In office February 2009 – January 2011
Preceded by	Saul Anuzis
Succeeded by	Bobby Schostak
United States Ambassador to Slovakia
In office December 5, 2001 – December 19, 2004
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Carl Spielvogel
Succeeded by	Skip Vallee
Personal details
Born	(1945-07-07) July 7, 1945 South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Eileen Weiser
Children	3
Education	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BA)

He was born in South Bend, Indiana on July 7, 1945 and graduated with honors in 1966 from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He also did post-graduate work at the University's Business and Law Schools. He and Eileen were married in 1983 and live in Ann Arbor with their son, Daniel, born October 1, 2000. The Weisers also have two married children, Elizabeth and Marc, and five grandchildren.

Career

In 1968 Ambassador Weiser founded McKinley Associates Inc., a national real estate investment company and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until 2001, and again upon his return from Slovakia to the present.

Weiser served on the Boards of Directors of numerous non-profit organizations. Among them he has chaired or co-chaired the National Board of the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning at the University of Michigan, the Detroit Institute of Arts, United Negro College Fund of Washtenaw County, the Michigan Theater, Artrain USA, and was Treasurer and Finance Chair of The Henry Ford Museum. Together with his wife, Eileen, Ambassador Weiser in 1984 created the McKinley Foundation, a public community foundation. He currently serves as a Trustee or Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, The Henry Ford, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp. He is also a member of the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business Zell/Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies Advisory Board and the University's Food Allergy Center Advisory Board, The Ambassador and Mrs. Weiser currently serve as Campaign Deputy Chairs of the University's $4 billion Victors for Michigan Campaign, and the Ambassador is also a member of the $1 billion Campaign for the University's Health System.

Weiser also sits on the Atlantic Council's[2] Board of Directors.

He previously served as Ambassador to Slovakia under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005.[3]

In 2015, Ambassador Weiser announced that his family would donate over $50,000,000 to the University of Michigan.[4][5]

Political influence

Weiser at the 2010 Michigan Republican State Convention

Ambassador Weiser has chaired numerous political and judicial campaigns including four Michigan Supreme Court races and was Chairman of Team Michigan from 1997-2000. He served as the Michigan Finance Chair of Bush for President in 1999 and 2000 and as a member of the National Executive Committee of Victory 2000. He served during 2005-06 as the Michigan Republican State Finance Chair and was a National Co-Chair for Senator John McCain in 2007-2008.

In February, 2009, he was elected as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

In February, 2011 he was appointed as Co-Chair of the RNC's National Finance Transition Committee, and from April, 2011 to February, 2013 served as the RNC's National Finance Chair.

Weiser, along with philanthropist and former Amway president Dick DeVos, was one of the primary architects of the "Right-to-work law" legislation enacted by the Michigan legislature in December 2012.

In 2014, Weiser unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan.[6][7][8] He was elected to the Board of Regents in 2016.[9][10] His term expires on January 1, 2025.[11]

Weiser was selected in 2016 to lead the Republican National Committee's fundraising efforts for Donald Trump.[12]

Weiser donated $50,000 to The MRP Legal Expense Trust Fund, which is covering Vice President Mike Pence's legal bills generated during the Mueller investigation.[13]

Awards

In 2004, for his work in furthering the Slovak economic and political relationship with the United States, he received The White Double Cross from Slovak President Rudolf Schuster, the highest award given to non-Slovaks. Also in 2004 he received the Cultural Pluralism Award from the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad for his work in the restoration of the Jewish cemetery in Zakopane, Poland, and one of Slovakia's most cherished historical sites, the medieval Trenčín Castle.

The University of Michigan Business School honored him in 2005 as the Outstanding Alumni with the David D. Alger Award, and in 2007 named him the Zell-Lurie Institute Entrepreneur of the Year. In April 2005 he delivered the commencement address to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Ambassador Weiser was honored with the "Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service". The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, part of the Smithsonian, created this award to recognize individuals who "have served with distinction in public life".

He was also named the Chelsea, Michigan "Citizen of the Year" for 2007, and received the 2008 "Distinguished Citizen of the Year" award from the Great Sauk Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

References

1. "Ann Arbor businessman Ron Weiser elected state GOP party chairman". Mlive.com. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
2. "Board of Directors". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
3. "Ronald Weiser". Council of American Ambassadors. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2016-03-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "McKinley founder Ron Weiser donates $50 million to University of Michigan". Mlive.com. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
6. "Ron Weiser (@RonaldWeiser) - Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
7. "Former U.S. ambassador announces candidacy for regent". Michigandaily.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
8. "- The Michigan Daily". Michigandaily.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
9. "Weiser unseats Deitch on Board of Regents, Ilitch retains position".
10. "Our Campaigns - U of Michigan Board of Regents Race - Nov 08, 2016".
11. "Ron Weiser".
12. "Michigan Republican Ron Weiser to assist with Trump fundraising efforts". Mlive.com. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
13. Lee, Michelle Ye Hee (June 30, 2020). "A dozen donors paid nearly $480,000 in legal fees for Pence in Mueller inquiry, new filing shows". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Among other donors were Ron Weiser, a longtime GOP donor, former ambassador to Slovakia and former chair of the Michigan GOP ($50,000), and Marty Obst, senior political adviser to Pence ($20,000).

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Carl Spielvogel	United States Ambassador to Slovakia 2001–2004	Succeeded by Skip Vallee
Party political offices
Preceded by Saul Anuzis	Chair of the Michigan Republican Party 2009–2011	Succeeded by Bobby Schostak
Preceded by Ronna Romney McDaniel	Chair of the Michigan Republican Party 2017–2019	Succeeded by Laura Cox