The director of Wayne Community College’s Aviation Systems Technology program has been honored by the Aviation Technician Education Council.
Mark S. Peeples was named the “Ivan D. Livi Aviation Maintenance Educator of the Year,” an award that recognizes excellence in aviation maintenance training, during the council’s annual conference in Atlanta.
The ATEC states that winners of the award “represent the very best of the AMTS community.” The award recognizes the outstanding achievement of an aviation maintenance technology instructor. The achievement can be in the form of a single event or long term outstanding performance but must have had a direct impact on aviation maintenance students.
This award, Peeples said, is “like the who’s who in our industry. This is the top.”
Peeples has more than 40 years’ experience in aviation. After serving 25 years with the U.S. Navy, he worked for two years at a maintenance repair and overhaul facility. For the last 15 years, Peeples has worked in academia, teaching in Florida at Florida State College at Jacksonville, and in Louisiana at SOWELA Technical Community College and Baton Rouge Community College, before coming to WCC.
He graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 2002 with a degree in aeronautics and holds a pilot certificate with instrument rating and an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics certificate. Peeples is also a Designated Mechanic Examiner appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The move to WCC in 2014 was a homecoming for Peeples, who grew up in Smithfield and Clayton.
Peeples was nominated by WCC Applied Technologies Division Chair Dr. Ernie White who stated in his recommendation, “Professional, committed and driven are just some of the adjectives that describes Mark. Dedicated to student success is the primary mission that keeps the AMT [aviation maintenance technology] Department on task.”
“He consistently places students first in the classroom and is willing to come early or stay late to help students to be successful,” White wrote. “His strong values serve as a model for students prior to beginning their aviation career.”
“There are many A&P instructors, but few continue to pass the rigors of annual inspections like Mark,” White said. “Like hours on a plane, Mark has touched many students and as he continues to climb to altitude, leaving behind the legend of a complete aviation maintenance educator.”
This is Peeples’ second major recognition for his teaching acumen. In 2011 Peeples was recognized with a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award, nominated by SOWELA Technical Community College at which he was an aviation maintenance technology instructor.
The award, which has been presented since 1990, honors Ivan Livi (1920-2015) who was one of the council’s founding fathers and provided leadership to the organization for more than 50 years. According to ATEC, Livi’s passion for guiding aviation and maintenance students was infectious and he loved his role on the Northrop Rice Foundation, which gave him a venue to provide scholarships for young men and women to attend ATEC member institutions. His life – spanning nine decades – is a testament to what can be achieved through dedication, hard work and a commitment to serving others.
About ATEC
ATEC is a partnership of over 150 FAA-certificated training schools across the country. The council is dedicated to fostering aviation maintenance education and providing industry with skilled labor. More information is about the organization is available at www.atec-amt.org/.
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 14,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves. For more information, go to www.waynecc.edu.
