APSU names retired Lt. Col. Peeler as inaugural assistant director for veteran and career advising
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Retired Lt. Col. Michael L. Peeler, former U.S. Army Field Artillery officer, was recently named Austin Peay State University’s first assistant director for veteran and career advising. In this new role, Peeler will provide career counseling to the University’s military-affiliated students, as well as assist students and alumni with career exploration, internship opportunities and job preparation.
“Having Mike Peeler as a full-time assistant director of our Career Services office is going to make a significant and immediate impact for our veteran students as they graduate,” Gen. Scott Brower, APSU military adviser in residence, said. “His continued efforts to establish new relationships, and grow old ones, with companies that are seeking new employees and who recognize the value of having employees with a military background is going to open doors and opportunities for these graduates.”
Austin Peay is the state’s largest provider of higher education to military-affiliated students, with at least 2,659 enrolled students having a military connection in the fall of 2018. Last September, the University’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to create the William E. & Sadako S. Newton Military Family Resource Center, which will have the potential to house several of the University’s existing academic and support programs in one location, including the Military Student Center, Veterans Upward Bound, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ VetSuccess on Campus office and enrollment management support offices.
“Having Mike here full-time is a clear demonstration of APSU's commitment to not only educate our military-affiliated students, but to also help them find employment once they graduate, which will not only help the success of those companies, but also the well-being of the communities these veterans live in,” Brower said.
Peeler previously served the University as a part-time veteran career adviser in the APSU Office of Career Services, while also working as full-time law enforcement officer. During his time at Austin Peay, he has advised the University’s military-affiliated students on effective resume writing and potential career opportunities. Peeler also worked as a regional veteran connector for Where Opportunity Knox (WOK), where he assisted service members and their families transitioning out of the military with finding adequate employment through employer networking.
Peeler served nearly 27 years in the U.S. Army as a field artillery officer and in the Tennessee Army National Guard as a multichannel communication specialist. He retired in 2015, having gained more than 20 years of leadership experience through key command and staff positions he held throughout his military career.
Peeler earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education and health from the University of Tennessee, Martin, and a Master of Science in adult occupational and continuing education from Kansas State University. He will soon begin his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree, with a concentration in higher education administration, at Tennessee State University.
Peeler and his wife, Stephanie, have two adult daughters, Jacolby and Kristian. Jacolby is in the U.S. Navy, and Kristian is a student at Austin Peay.
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