Tyler Chandler can’t put into words exactly what it was that drew him toward law enforcement as a career, but he can tell you about the moment he thinks the seed was planted.
“The earliest memory I have was when I was probably 4 or 5,” said Chandler, a lieutenant in the Mt. Juliet Police Department. “We were in a McDonald’s and there was a police officer standing behind us and I kept turning around and looking at him. He reached down and talked to me, and he had a badge, a small tie tack, on his tie.”
The officer pinned the badge on Chandler’s shirt, and a lifelong respect for law enforcement officers and the work they do was born.
“I wanted to go out and, you know, chase the bad guys, but also just giving back,” Chandler said. “Knowing that I can make a difference, even a small difference, I’m constantly working toward ensuring that the city or community that I’m working for is a better place to live.”
Chandler currently serves as a lieutenant, reporting directly to the Mt. Juliet chief of police. He is responsible for the administrative services division, which includes the dispatch/911 center, records department, courts and public affairs.
And when the workday is over, Chandler usually signs on to Trevecca Online to complete his coursework in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies’ master’s program in organizational leadership.
It’s a program Chandler chose out of a desire to be a strong leader—in his department and his community.
“In law enforcement, I’m not only a leader to the staff, but also to the community,” Chandler said. “A lot of people look up to us and the same values that I’m learning and fine-tuning with this program are the same values that I need to have to instill in our staff as they go out and protect the community. You have to have good leadership to build followers who go out and do good stuff. We’re truly out here to serve and protect, and we care about the community.”
A native of Texas, Chandler’s family moved to the Mt. Juliet area when he was about 10 years old. During high school, Chandler participated in the law enforcement explorers program, a hands-on, career-oriented program for middle and high school students that Chandler describes as an “ROTC for police.”
At 18, fresh from high school graduation, the Mt. Juliet Police Department hired Chandler. He worked as a dispatcher briefly, did some administrative work, and eventually went to the police academy, becoming a patrol officer. While working full-time, he was also working toward a bachelor’s degree at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn.
“I was there for four years and realized there’s no possible way I can finish my degree going full-time and working full-time,” Chandler said.
So, he enrolled in Bethel University’s online criminal justice program and finished his degree, all while continuing to work at the police department. Knowing himself and his workload, when Chandler started researching master’s programs, he knew he wanted one that was online and would also help him to develop as a leader.
His research led him to Trevecca’s Master’s of Organizational Leadership (MOL) program.
“I liked the faith-based aspect,” Chandler said. “I figured this would also help me as a person, as I work on myself internally, it will help me as I work as a leader and grow in leadership. There’s a lot of what I’m learning now that I can apply now, on how to lead others and be there for people.”
The faith-based approach to leadership wasn’t the only thing that drew Chandler to Trevecca’s MOL program. With his schedule and workload, he knew a traditional classroom approach probably wasn’t going to work for him.
“The fact that it was also online was important to me,” Chandler said. “I’m able to focus on work but also focus on school.”
When Chandler’s workday is over, he often settles into his office—with the approval of the department—to complete his schoolwork.
“From my experience of taking classes in the classroom for four years and then finishing at Bethel and now doing the master’s program at Trevecca, I feel like I learn more in the online classes, because you’re required to do more.”
Chandler, who’ll complete his master’s degree in 2017, says he’s glad he chose Trevecca.
“You have to dedicate some time to complete the program and it has definitely challenged me,” Chandler said. “It’s a very good program for people who have professional jobs and work full-time.”