The Right Direction Stephen Welker ’05 honors his past by shaping the future.

Kelsey Goodwin
March 18, 2025

I know there are people out there who are just like me, who want an opportunity to be the best they can be. That is why philanthropy is so important to me. – Stephen Welker ’05

Stephen Welker’s family prides itself on its commitment to education. For four generations, that commitment has drawn the family to Lexington, Virginia.

Welker ’05 is the fourth generation in his family to attend Washington and Lee University. And his mother’s family — last name Pultz — has lived in Rockbridge County since the 1700s. Welker, who grew up in Maryland, said he is grateful to have had the opportunity to attend W&L on the Joseph S. Keelty ’44 Honor Scholarship, established for students from the Baltimore area. Welker’s commitment of $250,000 to the renovation of Huntley Hall will give students in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics the ability to achieve their goals through smaller class sizes and enhanced networking and professional development opportunities. The new Williams School building on Washington Street is slated for completion for Fall Term 2025, and a complete renovation of Huntley will follow.

Welker, a business administration and accounting major, said one of the highlights of his college experience was his time in the Williams Investment Society, including serving as its president his senior year. He also credits his courses with providing insight from professors committed to “bringing real-world experience into the classroom.” As he began his professional career, Welker said he witnessed the power of the W&L alumni network. He is committed to “the W&L experience,” he said, “because it is about our alumni connections.”

Welker, partner and director of research with Sherborne Investors Management LP, leads the firm’s research function, including identifying investments, establishing the turnaround thesis and participating in management of the investment. Before joining Sherborne Investors, he worked at Morgan Stanley on real estate investment banking and principal investment transactions. During his time there, he made a point of traveling to campus to recruit new analysts. Welker has continued to volunteer his time by hosting students involved in the Williams Investment Society and career exploration trips to New York City offered by the Office of Career and Professional Development (his wife, Emily, and he live in New York with their two children).

“This allows them to see what working at a small firm looks like, which is very different than working at a big bank or even a big private equity firm,” Welker said. “Just talking to students, helping them sort through what they want to do with their careers and offering advice is enjoyable and rewarding.” Welker has been a member of the Williams School Board of Advisors for the past six years and plans to offer his time in a new way this year through serving as a class agent for his upcoming 20th reunion.

His commitment to W&L has extended to donating to several projects over the years. Welker has supported the W&L Fund (formerly the Annual Fund) since 2013, Williams School student opportunities, the Kenneth P. Ruscio Center for Global Learning and the Washington and Lee Natatorium. For Welker, philanthropy represents an opportunity to pass along the support and encouragement he received from his family, the W&L alumni network and everyone along the way who shaped his own success story.

“I’m very cognizant of the fact that a lot of people helped me along the way – that I have a lot of people to feel appreciative toward,” Welker said. “And I know there are people out there who are just like me, who want an opportunity to be the best they can be. That is why philanthropy is so important to me.”

Welker said his and other board members’ approach to the Huntley Hall renovation project was to consider what students need today and in the future. “It’s a long-delayed necessity,” he said.

Welker said he believes the university is stronger than it has ever been. “Whether you’re discussing fundraising, our endowment or enrollment criteria, all of these things are the best they’ve ever been,” Welker said. “Things are going in the right direction.”

For more information about the priorities for Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee, visit campaign.wlu.edu.