Professor Spitler has been recognized for his consistently high standards of teaching as he was advanced through the instructional ranks at Sandhills Community College. In 2000, Professor Spitler was promoted to the rank of Instructor at Sandhills Community College. In 2003 Professor Spitler worked as president of the Faculty Assembly with the administration to establish the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor at the college. In 2003, he was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, and in 2008, after 10 years of demonstrating excellence in the classroom, Professor Spitler was honored to be promoted by the faculty and administration to the rank of Professor at Sandhills Community College.
Professor Spitler has also been recognized as a faculty leader, excellent teacher and outstanding alum by his peers and the administration at the college. In 2001, he was one of two Sandhills Community College employees selected to attend the North Carolina Leadership program. In 2003, Professor Spitler was selected by the administration to Chair the SACS Physical Resources Committee, and he was selected by his peers as the president of the Faculty Assembly. In 2012, Professor Spitler was selected by the administration to serve on the QEP Executive Committee. In 2015, Professor Spitler was selected by his peers to receive the 2014-2015 Raymond A. and Rachel H. Stone Excellence in Teaching Award, and he was also selected by his peers in the Sandhills Community College Alumni Association as a Notable Alumnus.
Professor Spitler has also received recognition at a state level. In 2015 he was selected as a finalist for the North Carolina Community College System Excellence in Teaching Award, placing him in the top five in the state. In 2012, he was selected by the Secretary of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to serve on the North Carolina Geodetic Survey Advisory Committee. In this role he represents all of the community college geomatics programs. Also in 2012 Professor Spitler was selected by the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University Geomatics program faculty to serve on their Advisory Committee. This is the only program in North Carolina tasked with educating future surveyors, and Professor Spitler has the important role of representing the community college programs.