David Weiss was a die-hard Gamecock fan and had planned to attend USC after graduating from Lancaster High School. But when Weiss met the president of Charleston Southern University, Jairy Hunter — also a Lancaster native — he was convinced Charleston Southern was the school for him.

No longer a student, Weiss now leads the university’s alumni association and hopes to increase the involvement of former graduates. He entered Charleston Southern in 1999 with the same enthusiasm he formerly had for Carolina. He dove into college life and pursued his interests as he became active in student government and College Republicans. He also served in the South Carolina Student Legislature in 2000-2001.

After graduating in 2003, Weiss’s passion for his alma mater led to a nomination to sit on the board of directors for the Charleston Southern Alumni Association. For the next couple of years, he took a lead role on the board and worked to involve other alumni in the association. Then in October 2005, he accepted the position of alumni director for Charleston Southern.

Weiss understands a strong alumni association benefits both the university and the alumni. He plans to organize chapter meetings in Greenville and Columbia, starting in late summer, to encourage networking and support among Charleston Southern graduates. He would also like to see an increase in local alumni participation and expand the alumni board of directors by five new members.