Title: Chief Academic Officer, Dean School of Firearms Technology
Highest degree and school: Master’s in Organizational Leadership, Colorado State University Global Campus
Dean at SDI since: 2021
Jarred McNeeley joined SDI as the Dean of Firearms Technology in 2021 and was promoted to VP of Academic Affairs in 2022. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he is a trained gunsmith and holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis on adult training and learning.
Jarred loves working and teaching in the gunsmithing and firearms sector. After serving as the Director of Education and later School Director for another firearms school, he came to SDI because he wanted to move to a position that allowed for greater interaction with curriculum and student impact. When asked what he enjoys most about his work, Jarred explained, “I love seeing students have the ‘ah ha moment,’ that point where something they have been researching or working on comes together and they understand not only what they have done but how to recreate the results. I also thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to pour into the lives of others, especially in ways that will allow them to be successful in their chosen trade or educational path. Seeing the successes of graduates and the impacts it has on their families, communities, and the world are what make teaching so rewarding.”
Jarred’s idea of a perfect day is a busy one, and would include spending time with family and friends, having some impact in someone’s life (whether by giving advice, teaching something, or just being there to listen), learning something new, and wrapping up with a wonderful meal. When pressed for a specific new thing he wanted to learn, he focused on design; having already had experience with CAD programs to build and repair different things, his next step would be to learn how to design and build things of his own. Says Jarred, “There is probably no better way to spend a day than to identify a problem and come up with a possible solution, apply that solution, and see where the process leads.”