The Woltz family: Tar Heel bred

Little did H. O. Woltz III (BSBA ’78) know when he received his undergraduate business degree from UNC that one day he and his future wife would have four daughters who would follow in his footsteps at UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Originally from Mount Airy, NC, Woltz met his wife, Agnes Parker Woltz (BA English ’78, MAT ’80) at UNC when both were students. After graduating, Woltz took a job with Exposaic Industries, a company that produced precast concrete components and steel wire reinforcing. Agnes moved to Winston-Salem where she taught in the Gifted and Talented program until they married in 1981 and relocated to Fredericksburg, Va., where Exposaic was constructing a new manufacturing facility. Exposaic eventually changed its focus and name to Insteel Industries Inc. The board of directors elected Woltz as CEO in 1991, and he continues to serve in that capacity today.

Agnes continued her teaching career through the births of their first two children and discontinued her work outside the home when they were expecting their third child and returned to North Carolina. “Since that time,” says Woltz, “Agnes spent her time and energy helping our children maximize their opportunities while developing a strong sense of respect for other people.”

How did all four daughters end up choosing to attend UNC? According to Woltz, “While each of the girls applied and was accepted at other schools, they shared our enthusiasm for the Chapel Hill way of life and had long observed the strong friendships that we brought from the experience.  So, despite having been courted by other institutions, they each had an affinity for Chapel Hill that was powerful.”

As for their decisions to major in business, Woltz’s advice to each of his daughters was to pursue any academic path that held a strong interest for them. “And if no particular course of study stood out as overwhelmingly interesting, they should consider the Undergraduate Business Program, which would provide marketable skills and a pathway to employment,” he explains.

Woltz says their oldest daughter, Louise Woltz Smith (BSBA ’06, MBA ’13), served as the trailblazer and was pleased with her decision to pursue an undergraduate business degree from UNC Kenan-Flagler.

According to Louise, “My UNC Kenan-Flagler experience in the Undergraduate Business Program gave me the tools I needed to land a great job out of undergrad, which shaped my career path and led to my current position. More importantly, when I found myself struggling with the decision to leave a career I enjoy to pursue a graduate degree, MBA@UNC presented the ability to do both. I can’t speak highly enough about the technology platform, content, faculty, administration and my fellow classmates. I am proud to be an alumna of such an innovative program.”

Louise accomplished her MBA@UNC degree while continuing to work full time. She now works in the private equity group at an alternative asset management firm and lives with her husband, Charles, in Richmond, Va.

The Woltzes’ second daughter, Parker Woltz Mackie (BSBA ’08), accepted a job after graduation with a consulting firm in its strategy and operations group. After three years there, she returned to school full time and received her MBA from Harvard in May 2013. She was also married in May 2013 and returned to work for the consulting company.  She and her husband, Mac, live in Lexington, Va.

After graduating from UNC Kenan-Flagler, their third daughter, Charlotte Westbrook Woltz (BSBA ’09)accepted an analyst position with an investment banking firm in New York City. She then moved to a hedge fund in NYC where she worked on the fundraising side of the fund.  She left that position to return full time to Harvard’s MBA program.

Their youngest daughter, Agnes Reddin Woltz (BSBA ’14), received her undergraduate business degree at UNC Kenan-Flagler and accepted a job as an analyst with an investment banking firm in Richmond.

“I am sad to be leaving Chapel Hill but am confident that my UNC Kenan-Flagler experience has prepared me for my transition into the working world,” says Reddin. “In addition to my course work, I am fortunate to have gained valuable practical experience through internships at Bloomberg and travel opportunities in India that provided exposure to different business cultures.”

“We have coached our children to make choices that create options and open doors,” says Woltz. “UNC Kenan-Flagler provided my daughters with a strong fundamental skill set that can be deployed in many facets of the business world, thus preserving options and opening doors.  I have also noted the growth of the UNC Kenan-Flagler alumni networking system over the years, and I believe that the contacts they have made through their experiences here will be increasingly important to them, both professionally and personally.”

Likewise, Woltz says he has also benefitted tremendously from the people and resources at UNC Kenan-Flagler over the course of his career. As a result, he consistently makes generous gifts to support the School’s annual fund.

“Our family has reaped tremendous rewards from our experiences at UNC Kenan-Flagler and the University overall,” says Woltz. “It is very satisfying for us to give back to the School in hopes that we are helping others to share the experiences that we have found so meaningful.”

“Above all, Agnes and I take great pleasure in the strong relationship that our children share. We are so fortunate that they are close and frequently choose activities and experiences that bring them together as a group. While each of our girls is accomplished, they are also well grounded and understand that the world is performance based. We are grateful that they are prepared to experience success in all aspects of their lives.”