In the summer of 1995, Gary Peeples had his first introduction to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, serving as an intern at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In 2001, he returned to the Service, this time in the Asheville Field Office, becoming the deputy supervisor in 2017. He has degrees in journalism and forestry from the University of Georgia. As the deputy supervisor, Gary plays a role in many aspects of the office including federal project review under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and threatened and imperiled species classification and recovery under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act.