Why I Went to College in Tyler – and Stayed

Nathan Lambrecht

Shane Neally, president at Stanger Surveying, moved to Tyler with his family from Jacksonville, Texas, in 1987 when he was a senior in high school. After trying the traditional college route and finding it wasn’t for him, he went to Tyler Junior College to explore a career in surveying. 

“I knew I needed to find a career, and surveying was a great option because the program took two years to complete,” he says. 

Neally graduated in 1992 and has worked for Stanger Surveying ever since. 

What trade did you study, and what made you go that route? 
One of the instructors, Patti Williams, was so passionate about surveying. I didn’t even know what surveying was, but I knew I wanted to have a job that I felt that passionate about, so I signed up right then and there and didn’t even look at any of the other choices.

It’s been a great fit for me since day one. 

Did you find it easy to find a job in your field in Tyler? 
I was working at a local hardware store part time while I was just starting at Tyler Junior College, and a local surveyor called Patti and said they were looking to hire a student. 

Myself and another kid raised our hands, went to Stanger, and even though he was only looking to hire one of us, he ended up hiring us both. 

I started working for them in 1990 and am still working there to this day. Joey Singer, who hired me, was a great mentor. That means a lot in surveying because it’s who you learn everything from.

He was a key to my success. I never had the urge to start my own business because I felt almost like this was my business. 

What aspects of Tyler made you decide to put down roots here, and what do you love about living in the area? 
I’m more of a country boy. I like that Tyler has a small-city feel to it, even though it’s getting larger, and that’s what I like most.

I like that you can still get and do just about anything you want to without having to go to Dallas or Houston. You can find shopping or activities right here in Tyler without having to drive to the big city.