With nearly two decades of experience moving from infantry rifleman to an executive officer for a 550-person command in the Arkansas National Guard, Maj. Brandon Mazander understands leadership at the highest level.
Now, as he eyes the future, he is charting a new course by earning his Master of Public Service through Clinton School Online.
Mazander’s pursuit of advanced public leadership education is supported by his status as an inaugural fellow of the Service to Service initiative, a partnership designed to systematically transition the dedication, discipline, and strategic skills of military veterans and their families into lasting careers in public leadership. The Clinton School is one of 12 inaugural members of the initiative that was launched earlier this year.
Few students embody the goals of this initiative better than Mazander, who also balances his military career and graduate program with being a husband, father of two young children, and an active community member whose service includes being a treasurer for the West Little Rock Rotary Club and a commissioner for the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History.
A Career Defined by Service
Mazander’s commitment to the country began in 2002 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“It was eight months after 9/11, and serving is something I always thought about,” Mazander said. “When I ended up needing money for college and after seeing the devastation left from 9/11, I decided to join.”
His career evolved from active duty in the Marine Corps (including deployments to Iraq and Japan) to later joining the Arkansas National Guard in 2013, where he now holds the rank of Major. His career included additional deployments in Iraq and Africa. Promoted in March 2025, Mazander serves as the executive officer for the 777th Aviation Support Battalion at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, overseeing administration, logistics, and operations for a battalion of up to 550 personnel.
After nearly two decades of high-stakes military work, his motivation has evolved to focus on passing on his knowledge and lessons learned to the next generation.
“I’ve reached the point in my career where I am in the coach, teach, and mentor stage,” Mazander said. “The more knowledge and lessons learned that I could pass on to young soldiers, the more I try to focus on that. That has really been my driver the last couple of years.”
A New Path to Public Leadership
While Mazander already holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and an MBA from Webster University, he saw the Clinton School’s Master of Public Service program as a vital step for his future.
The connection was immediate when he learned about the Service to Service initiative – a partnership with We the Veterans and the Volcker Alliance. The initiative helps connect veterans and military-connected students with public service education and careers.
“The Service to Service program really appealed to me. It’s been very educational and eye opening to public service,” Mazander said. “This degree is beneficial for policy analysis if I stay in the military, or if I retire and go into the public sector. It’s great for somebody like me who doesn’t know what they want to be when they grow up. It gives me lots of options for the future.”
As an inaugural fellow, Mazander participated in a national summit with other military-connected students at Ohio State University this fall, further exploring the opportunities for veterans in the public sector. He notes that the experience with his student cohort has been supportive as he balances his studies, his military duties, and his family life with his wife, Heather, and two children, Brooklyn and Issac, in Little Rock.
Deepening Roots in the Community
Mazander’s public service extends beyond the military and the classroom. He also serves as a commissioner and treasurer on the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History Commission.
“For me, the exciting part is getting to spend more time in the museum and make sure it’s part of the community,” Mazander explained. “My promotion ceremony was held there in March, and I had a lot of people tell me that they didn’t even know it was here.”
Mazander’s colleagues on the commission recognize the tangible value that his extensive military experience brings to the museum’s governance and public outreach efforts.
“Major Mazander’s decades of dedicated service, including his strategic leadership and recent promotion within the National Guard, make him an invaluable addition to our commission,” said Stephan McAteer, executive director of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. “His unique perspective is essential in shaping our educational programming and enhancing the museum’s role as a vital community asset for all of Arkansas.”
This Veterans Day, Mazander will serve as a featured speaker during the Veterans Day Ceremony at his church, Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, where he plans to reflect on the intersection of service and faith. Through his military leadership, his commission work, and his rigorous academic path at the Clinton School, Mazander is actively building a future centered on dedicated public service.
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