The University of New Orleans, now Louisiana State University New Orleans, is going through a renaissance. At the helm of the transformation is LSU New Orleans’ own Michelangelo, Jeanette Weiland. Weiland has long been a resident of New Orleans and is an alum herself of the institution. With a background in finance and experience in not only higher education, but also the New Orleans business community and Ochsner Health System, one conversation with Weiland had this Privateer alum hopeful for a future that is now painted purple and gold.
What lead you to LSU New Orleans? My first career was in investment advising for about nine years. I worked at Capital One before the Hibernia Bank building became condos. I moved back to D.C., where I’m from, to build my own business with my father and some other partners. When I was about 7 months pregnant, I decided to sell my business to one of my partners and got out of the industry. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life and one of my best girlfriends from when I was a student at UNO told me to look at Ochsner Health for a finance job. I earned a finance fellowship with Ochsner Health that lasted two years. I learned the business of healthcare, and I stayed on an additional year and I was the financial operations manager for their retail division. I credit Ochsner with giving me so much of my skill set that has worked in my favor for years, but it wasn’t my passion. I then discovered New Orleans Business Alliance. I had never even heard of economic development. Basically it was selling New Orleans as a place for business and to get people to stick here, stay here and grow their businesses here. I thought, ‘I can do that!’ I eventually got courted by Tulane and their Innovation Institute to start their first venture fund. I did that for some time, then I got tapped to apply for the School of Science and Engineering’s Chief Business Officer. When I discovered that the university was going back to the LSU system, I started asking about what was happening to my alma mater. I drove to meet with Scott Ballard, who was the board chair of LSU board of supervisors at the time, and I said, ‘Hey I heard this was going on and I know how to help. Give me a shot.’
What made you want take on this new project? I felt like I knew how to fix it. I really thought I knew how to help. I never had my eye on a chancellor position, because in academia you have to have a PhD and I didn’t want to get that. I came into this position wanting to be a CAO. With a university closing or merging about every 30 days in the country, I think in any situation, something that academia refuses to acknowledge, is that the institution needs to make money. Having a career in academia or a degree in a very acute discipline doesn’t exactly prepare someone for managing a multifaceted organization. I’ve worked in economic development; I have helped governments form economic development districts, facilities, IT, HR, marketing, finance. I’ve written grants. I’ve touched every part of what I thought the university needed to succeed.
What are you excited about? When the semester starts, getting back to the student life of things. The first six weeks of the fall semester will be huge. We’re planning a Privateer Fest on our festival grounds by the lakefront. There will be music and it’s going to be produced by the alumni association. We have Eddie Williams Jr. on board to start a marching band with the goal to march in Carnival parades by 2028. There will be live music in the amphitheater and we’re planning on doing more to operationalize the Cove and bring Jazz at the Sandbar back, as well as watch parties on Saturdays for football games. The home opener for the basketball season is going to be as big as possible. There’s a lot happening for students.
What makes you excited to come to work every day? I love this job. The more challenging the position, the more I’m fired up. I came here pre-Hurricane Katrina; I didn’t come here to save New Orleans. I’ve loved New Orleans from the start.
What’s the one thing you want all UNO alums to know going forward as LSU New Orleans? I think the thing that will never change about this university is that this is the city’s university. You can get a phenomenal education, access to professors, access to the city and involvement with the community at a very advantageous price point. It will change your life. And that’s not going to change.
Favorite restaurants or bar: Boulignya Tavern, The Columns, and GW Fins.
True confession: I have written a few children’s books about New Orleans.
