Brian Speer Promoted to Gardner-Webb Associate Vice President of Facilities Operations

Former Director of Operations Administration is Experienced Servant Leader

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Vice President for Finance and Administration R. Thomas Welch has named Brian Speer as associate vice president of Facilities Operations. Speer previously served as the director of Operations Administration. In his new role, Speer will collaborate with various campus departments to elevate the student experience both inside and outside the classroom.

“We know that learning and the collegiate experience are only fully attainable when students feel accepted, safe, and comfortable,” Welch asserted. “Facilities Operations and its leadership are vital to providing this environment for our community. This decision reflects our commitment to choosing a leader who embraces the charge to make GWU a family—a home for our students—and an exceptional place to gain skills and knowledge for the next steps in life.”

As associate vice president of Facilities Operations, Speer’s responsibilities include managing the areas of housekeeping, maintenance, event services, occupational safety, and the University’s grounds.

“More than anything, I want Christ to shine through in everything I do—in my leadership of the Operations staff, in interactions with students, staff, and faculty, and in partnerships with vendors and contractors,” Speer shared. “I want to be both a quarterback and cheerleader for our Operations team. I want the Operations employees to be recognized for the vital positions they hold. They are an amazing team of individuals, and I want to help them experience joy and purpose in the work they do here at GWU.”

He continued, “While there is much to learn, I ask the Lord for wisdom on how to lead like Christ in this new position. My heart is what Paul shared with the Colossians, ‘Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ.’” (Col. 3:23-24) 

Speer joined the Gardner-Webb staff in May 2008 as part of Event Services. In December 2008, he became manager of Event Services and established foundational protocols for facility setup and event logistics, managing teams in the preparation and maintenance of 600+ campus venues annually to support academic, athletic, and community programming. In 2010, he became director of Operations Administration, where his role was to manage project pipelines from design through completion, including recent Tucker Student Center renovations, dorm HVAC upgrades, and athletic facility improvements.

Speer has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UNC-Charlotte and a master’s in Christian education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He serves as one of the preaching elders at Shepherding Center Ministries, in Gastonia, N.C. He and his wife, Laura, have been married 31 years. They have nine children and five grandchildren.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at gardner-webb.edu.