East Montgomery Times

Crisis communications consultant and media law expert Mark Weaver, a 1979 graduate, was recently inducted into the Abington Senior High School Hall of Fame.

According to his bio on the Communications Counsel website, Weaver has three decades of experience as an attorney and crisis communications expert. He works with public- and private-sector clients on cases relating to "crisis communications, social media challenges and high-profile litigation communications" and has advised clients at the highest levels of national government and corporate America across more than 30 states. He previously served as the Deputy Attorney General of Ohio, was a member of the Attorney General's executive staff and acted as a senior policy advisor and chief spokesman.

Weaver said in an interview that he was honored and humbled to be inducted into the Abington Senior High School Hall of Fame.

"Abington is a giant high school with tens of thousands of graduates, so to be among the hundred or so graduates recognized among that group of people dating back to 1928 is humbling indeed," Weaver told East Montgomery Times.

During his days as a student at Abington, Weaver was responsible for hosting the morning announcements heard throughout the school, which gave him the confidence to speak in public and make his voice heard. He was also the editor of the Abington Junior High newspaper, and in his senior year, he was part of an internship program that gave him an opportunity to work in a state legislator’s office

"These experiences -- plus my college, graduate school, and law school education -- became the foundation stones of my career," Weaver said.

When asked if he had any advice for current Abington Senior High School students, Weaver said that students shouldn't focus on following their dreams because "some dreams can lead to pretty dark places," but they should instead be committed to knowing what’s right and doing what’s right. 

"Character matters," Weaver said. "Your reputation is hard to build and easy to break. Seek out and listen to counsel from those who came before you. In all things, pray for wisdom and discernment."

Previous inductees into the Abington Hall of Fame include professional athletes, musicians and business executives, according to the school's website. The late actor Bob Saget, famously known for his role in the '80s and '90s sitcom “Full House” and host of "America’s Funniest Home Videos," was inducted in 1991. Saget graduated in the class of 1974.

Abington School District is located approximately 5 miles north of Philadelphia in a suburban residential area. The school district had a 2021-2022 enrollment of 8,292 students, who came from a variety of community settings and socioeconomic levels. Abington Senior High School is a three-year comprehensive high school. The 2021-2022 enrollment was 1,954 students with 627 graduating in the senior class. The total number of faculty assigned to the Senior High School is 152.