Wayne Community College aviation program director recognized
By From staff reports
Published in News on July 27, 2016 1:46 PM
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Mark Peeples, aviation systems technology program director at Wayne Community College, left, shows student Shawn Merchant a burr on an aircraft engine cylinder.
The director of Wayne Community College's Aviation Systems Technology program has been honored by the Aviation Technician Education Council.
Mark 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.
Recipients of the award represent the very best of the AMTS community, officials said. 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.
The 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. He 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 said 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."
White said Peeples consistently places students first in the classroom and is willing to come early or stay late to help students be successful.
"His strong values serve as a model for students prior to beginning their aviation career," he said. "There are many A&P instructors, but few continue to pass the rigors of annual inspections like Mark. 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 he was recognized with a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award, nominated by SOWELA Technical Community College, where he was an aviation maintenance technology instructor.