MEBANE, NC, October 04, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Rev. Jefferson David Atwater has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who in America 2021-2022. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are chosen on the basis of factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field.
Before embarking on his professional journey as a military chaplain, Rev. Atwater earned a Bachelor of Arts from Mars Hill College in 1970, and a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1973. In 1990, he also earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Development from Salve Regina College.
After being commissioned in 1975, and completing the Basic Course at Naval Chaplains School, Chaplain Atwater entered active duty in 1976. Over the course of 30 years, he dedicated himself to serving personnel of both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1985, while attending the Advanced Course for Navy chaplains, he achieved the best response on record for their case study exam, and earned distinction as a distinguished graduate. This eventually led to his return to the Advanced Course as an instructor. During that assignment, he also taught an elective course at the Naval War College, and developed leadership training for civilian supervisors. One of his proudest achievements was negotiating installation of a tele-training suite at the Chaplains School which eventually served the entire Naval Education and Training Center complex, saving both travel time and thousands of dollars annually in travel costs.
Significant supervisory responsibilities during CAPT Atwater's career included duties as Wing Chaplain for the Second Marine Aircraft Wing; Director of Plans, Programs and Professional Development for the Navy Chief of Chaplains; Force Chaplain for the Chief of Naval Education and Training; Head, Chaplain Program Development at Naval Education Professional Development and Technology Center; and Director of the Naval Chaplains School. CAPT Atwater retired from the Navy in 2005 after serving as Command Chaplain for Naval Air Station Pensacola with additional duty as Chaplain for Navy Region Gulf Coast. Over the course of his career, he was awarded two Navy Commendation Medals, three Meritorious Service Medals, and four Legion of Merit medals.
Since military retirement, Rev. Atwater has served as Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church near Chapel Hill, NC, and as a volunteer chaplain for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Looking toward the future, he hopes to continue using his experience to teach, lead and disciple people from many different backgrounds.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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