The Armstrong Atlantic State University Liberty Center welcomed a new director last month, only 13 months after its last director assumed the role.

Retired Army Col. Peter Hoffman stepped into the position July 2, and he said his goal is to offer accessible, quality programs to meet the needs of residents in Liberty County and the surrounding areas, as well as Fort Stewart soldiers and their families.

“You need to know that the Armstrong Liberty Center is here to stay,” he said. “We are here to meet this community’s higher-education needs, and will expand and adapt as necessary to accomplish that.”

Hoffman deferred to the main campus to answer questions about the center’s move to a new location, which Hinesville City Manager Billy Edwards has mentioned in previous public meetings.

“Armstrong is very supportive of building a new facility in Hinesville,” the school’s Vice President for Business and Finance David Carson said. “We are currently working with the city of Hinesville and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents on our plans and hope to reach a conclusion in the very near future. All parties are committed to see this project through to completion.”

Hoffman said he is adding more character to the current space to make it more inviting.

“I like to point out that Armstrong was designated in the 2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools as being in the top 20 percent of schools in the nation that are most military friendly,” he said.

“Armstrong is pleased to have Col. Peter Hoffman at the helm at Liberty Center,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Carey Adams said. “With nearly three decades of service in active duty and an impressive amount of scholarship, he brings a vast range of experience and knowledge to his position. In addition to providing leadership for the Liberty Center, Mr. Hoffman will assist Armstrong in expanding our military outreach and veterans’ services.”

Hoffman cites the accelerated flex-term classes, and day, evening and online course offerings as aspects that make the campus more accessible. In addition, dual-enrollment programs are open to high school juniors and seniors for advanced study.

Hoffman retired in 2011 after 30 years of active-duty service, and he held various command and staff positions within the United States and overseas, he said. He served in diplomatic and arms control-related positions in Russia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and Nigeria.

The director holds a bachelor of science in political science from North Georgia College and a master of public administration from Cornell University. After retiring, Hoffman taught mathematics at an alternative public high school in Savannah.

“I’m also a graduate of the Defense Language Institute, the U.S. Army Russian Institute and the Georgia Teaching Fellows Program,” he said. “My awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Master Parachutist Badge.”

The center’s next term begins in October. For more information on the Liberty Center’s programs, go to www.armstrong.edu.