Introducing Dr. Neal Weaver

Photo caption: In what's already becoming a bit of a tradition, Weaver asked Lumberjack Orientation attendees to gather for a group photo and throw their best "axe 'em, Jacks" hand sign. Photo by Korbin Pate

SFA's 11th president shares his vision for the university's future

Story by Christine Broussard '10 & '20

I like to make desserts," SFA President Neal Weaver says with a sternness I was not expecting from an admission of baking.

"Sometimes I say I like to cook, but I don't like to cook. I like to bake," he smiles. "There's something interesting to me about taking these really random things — sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, water, eggs — stirring them up in a bowl, putting it in the oven, and it comes out totally different."

We both laugh as Weaver, SFA's newly appointed 11th president, follows that sentiment up with "I'm sure some scientist is going to tell me I'm ridiculous for thinking that's spectacular." Then, we launch into a five-minute conversation about our mutual awe of the number of evolutions in human history that have allowed something like a simple cake to exist.

As Weaver describes the reasons for his love of baking, the memory of an earlier part of our conversation tugs at my mind. In it, he was describing his firm belief that "SFA is not just in the education business — we're in the individual development business."

He went on to explain that "when students come here, it's not just to go sit in a classroom. It's also to be engaged in activities, events, service and a community where they develop skills beyond knowledge of a specific discipline.

"By participating in a group, they learn accountability. They learn they have to show up on time, so they learn dependability. They learn to get along with people who may not think like them, look like them, talk like them, so they learn teamwork and conflict management. And all those things you develop here — coupled with an incredible discipline-specific education — now make you a Lumberjack."

It becomes clear to me then, as the memory recedes, that Weaver's love for turning disparate and disconnected parts into a comprehensive and impressive whole doesn't only apply to baking.

It bleeds into other parts of his life, like his belief that college isn't a single-ingredient recipe that produces immaculate cakes. It's the collective efforts and lessons accumulated over years, stirred together with some heat applied, that allow a Lumberjack to walk the graduation stage prepared for what comes after.

That concept of holistic development and support is a guiding principle in how Weaver said he plans to address his tenure as SFA president.

"Integrated learning is key. Let's say you're the treasurer for your fraternity and an accounting student. Wouldn't it be great if your faculty member knew that and could say, 'Hey, let's talk about what you're doing in that role'? And now I'm integrating my experiences with my academic discipline," Weaver said. "When we're asked how to get where we want to be, the first step is to understand we offer students the chance to engage in all these things that have purpose and value, and what everybody does all comes together to create what we love about SFA."

What Others See in You

Weaver's professional vision has been shaped by his own stirring collection of past experiences.

A 1986 graduate of Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City, Weaver attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where he met his wife, Kristi, and received a Bachelor of Arts in speech and communication in 1990.

After a brief stint as a sports reporter for the McAlester News Capitol, Weaver was hired as assistant director of public relations and media coordinator at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Then he made a mistake.

"I left higher education," Weaver sighed. "And it was awful. I missed being on a college campus, and I knew I had to go back."

He returned to work at Northeastern State University and graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a Master of Business Administration in 1999.

Spurred by the support of his close friend and mentor, the late Dr. Larry Williams, who was then-president of NSU in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Weaver was later named the university's director of public relations. He worked his way up through the department and was named vice president of university relations in 2004.

The irony is that up to that point, "I wanted to be an athletic director — that's all I wanted to do," Weaver said.

"And when the athletic director's job came open, I told Dr. Williams I was going to apply, and he said, 'I'm not going to hire you for that. You're going to be a president someday.' And I was surprised, but that's the thing — my whole life has been the result of other people seeing more in me than I see in myself."

In 2005, Weaver graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a doctoral degree in organizational leadership and a newfound interest in pursuing a career in university administration. Then more than a decade later, one fateful day in 2017, he proved Williams right when he was named president of Georgia Southwestern State University.

"I had a great time at my old school — seven awesome years that shaped me and helped me, and I'm so grateful for that," Weaver said. "But I've admired SFA for many years, and this is exactly where I want to be."