Alum returns to WCU to speak at Chancellor's List ceremony
WCU alum TJ Eaves (third from left) with son Brayden, wife Natasha and daughter Lyla
TJ Eaves, a 2012 graduate of Western Carolina University, will return to Cullowhee to speak during the fall 2023 Chancellor’s List event.
The event celebrates the accomplishments of undergraduate students who have earned a 3.8 GPA during the previous semester at WCU.
This semester, the Chancellor’s List will take place Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. in the Bardo Arts Center. A reception will follow from 5:30-6:30. Students and their guests can expect to hear from the Chancellor Kelli R. Brown, Provost Richard Starnes and Eaves before receiving a certificate noting their academic success.
Both the Graduate School and Alumni Engagement will be present to provide information during the reception. Attendees are encouraged to park in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center lot adjacent to Bardo.
Eaves earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and law at WCU before obtaining his juris doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2015. As a student, Eaves was elected Student Government Association president at WCU for the 2011-12 academic year where he served on the Board of Trustees. Eaves also served on the Alumni Board of Directors and the College of Business Advisory Board.
After serving as an assistant district attorney with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office in Raleigh for nearly four years, Eaves bolstered his legacy at WCU when he returned as one of three attorneys responsible for providing legal advice to the university serving both students and employees.
As part of the WCU legal team, Eaves specialized in policy development, crises management, student affairs and athletics legal matters. His main practice areas included international affairs, contracts, emergency preparation, student affairs, litigation, policies and regulations, the Umstead Act, FERPA, threat assessment, athletics, media, property, law enforcement and records retention.
Prior to joining The Forge Companies in 2023, Eaves served as general counsel to Superior Cranes Inc., a large regional construction company. He also served on their executive leadership team. Eaves now serves as associate general counsel for Forge Consulting LLC and its affiliates. His various responsibilities include managing legal and regulatory matters impacting The Forge Companies, which consist of two insurance agencies, an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm, a Tennessee state-chartered Trust company, and a bookkeeping/payroll processing firm.
With Forge Consulting, Eaves identifies and analyzes legal issues involving corporate governance, labor, and employment, responds to cybersecurity events and trademark and intellectual property disputes, and drafts key documents such as third-party contracts, corporate resolutions and other corporate compliance documentation.
