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PrintI am Tulsa - Dave Weaver
Owner of Handy Hammer LLC and member of Tulsa's Young Professionals.
Dave Weaver is a busy man, although he may not realize it because “busy” (according to Weaver’s daily activities) is lending a helping hand.
Whether it’s making house calls for home repairs, teaching a ropes course for a high school group, volunteering at a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma event or organizing a leadership series with Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros), Weaver is passionate about improving his community.
“When you can help someone else succeed, you are succeeding yourself,” he says. “I like helping others because I had a few people along my path that assisted me through tough spots or just taught me a lesson along the way. I would like to do the same.”
Originally from Broken Arrow, Weaver spent most of his early years in Colorado, where his family relocated when he was 6 years old. He and his father moved back to Tulsa when Weaver was a high school student. But the warm temperatures weren’t enough to keep him in Tulsa.
“I didn’t think Tulsa was the place for me,” he says, which led him back to the mountains at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo.
After taking a class with a ropes course at the college, Weaver was inspired to switch to a college with a program that offered a degree in recreation and leisure studies. He found it at the University of Las Vegas.
When Weaver graduated, he contacted a company specializing in event promotions, specifically for paintball tournaments. When the company told him that it planned to open an office in Tulsa, Weaver shared his familiarity with the city.
And he was hired.
“To be honest, I again wasn’t super-excited about it,” he says, referring to the move to Tulsa. “But then I came back and kind of fell more in love with Tulsa after that.”
He also fell in love with and married Bethany, whom he had met years earlier when they attended Memorial High School. Today, they have two children, 3-year-old daughter Brenna and 1-year-old son Brecken. Together, he says, they spend a great deal of time at the pool, playing on the swing sets at LaFortune Park and trying local restaurants.
“My family is the support structure behind me,” Weaver says. “I can always smile, laugh and have a good time with them.”
Since his last move to Tulsa seven years ago, Weaver has opened his own series of small businesses, including an auto painting business and a home investment company.
“I’d always been interested in working for myself,” he says. “I’ve always been driven towards that path.”
Weaver now owns Handy Hammer LLC, a home repair company that provides free estimates and performs large and small repairs.
“I try to be as hands-on as much as possible, so I do a lot of repairs if I come out and give you an estimate,” he says. “You’ll see me there working right alongside my other guys that I’ve got working as well.”
One perk to managing his business is the flexible schedule that allows him to set aside time to help with local organizations.
“I can make sure I can schedule openings to get more involved with TYPros membership and with events,” he says. “I can also get involved with leadership training for youth and other businesses through ropes courses and team building.”
With his knowledge and 11-year experience with ropes courses, Weaver says he likes to teach and lead courses as often as he can, which he does at the YMCA and at Rogers State University.
“I love (working) the high school kids that are getting ready to transition towards college because I think it can be a very eye-opening experience for them,” he says. “I also love the college kids because they tend to be starting that transitional thinking — a little more open-minded sometimes.”
Besides leading groups outdoors, he also serves as co-chair of TYPros’ Next Generation Leadership Crew, which oversees unique lecture series, including the Leadership Series. The crew also oversees the selection for TYPros’ community partner each year. This year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is the organization’s community partner.
“I really like any style of working with kids,” Weaver says. “With the community partners, typically we have people that are in some way directly involved with kids, and I think it’s very important that we make sure we keep a communication bridge between our generation and the kids coming up behind us. It’s what makes our community stronger.”
It’s this reasoning why Weaver promotes TYPros to young professionals.
“If there are young people out there, I always like to see people get involved with community groups,” he says. “I think TYPros is a great start whether you stay involved with it or you move to something else. I don’t think it matters as long as you’re involved in your community and you know what’s going on.”
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I am dedicated to Tulsa because I want it to be a place for the next generation to call home. Tulsa offers diverse employment options with safe and affordable living. Tulsa is home.
I am a member of Tulsa’s Young Professionals because I can give back to the city I call home. TYPros is a great way to meet other active and like-minded people. The more active people we can get together, the stronger we can make the community.
I am passionate about teaching our next generation leadership skills that will benefit them in life.
I am looking forward to seeing Tulsa develop the universities located in Tulsa. Retaining Tulsans is a great asset to our community.
I am proudest of setting a positive example for young people and my children.
I am an asset to Tulsa because I am active within the community.
