Dr. Anna Weitz Detail
Dr. Anna Weitz
Dr. Anna Weitz’s career as a community college educator spanned 4 decades as she served institutions in New Jerey, New York as well as Pennsylvania. Early in her career she realized the mission of community colleges – to serve anyone committed to getting an education – aligned with her belief in providing opportunities to prospective students regardless of their academic background or personal experiences. Believing that such institutions are truly democracy’s colleges whose impact was increased by partnering with a wide range of organizations, she began referring to the institutions she served as THE COMMUNITY’S COLLEGE.
Dr. Weitz served as President of Reading Area Community College June 1, 2007 – June 30, 2018, after five years as President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown, PA. There she developed a broad regional service area and established a permanent main campus.
During her 11-year tenure at RACC the College built on its solid record for community responsiveness by increasing programs to meet employers’ changing workforce needs. This included greater emphasis on short-term, workforce-focused career training options. Her priorities included serving an increasingly diverse student population resulting in RACC being named the first higher education institution in Pennsylvania to meet the federal standards for designation as a Hispanic Service Institution.
Dr. Weitz earned her doctorate at The Pennsylvania State University, her master’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany, and her bachelor’s degree from Boston University.
Dr. Weitz has consistently been involved in the communities where she lived, including serving three different chambers of commerce, three regional Workforce Development Boards, plus multiple economic development organizations. When she retired, she chose to live and stay involved in Berks County. She was recently elected to the Board of Tec Centro- Berks. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Literacy Council of Reading – Berks, is Chair of the Board for the Foundation of the Reading Public Museum, is a member of the Planning Committee of the Berks County Workforce Development Board, and is a Community Advisor to the Board of Trustees of the Wyomissing Foundation.
