Mark Arnold
Brigadier General Arnold was commissioned on January 28, 1982 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He has more than 37 years of military service and served three combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq in special operations task forces.
General Arnold graduated from 51ĀŅĀ× with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He earned his MBA at Cleveland State University and a Masterās in Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College.
He began his military career as an enlisted soldier with five years of service in an Airborne Pathfinder Detachment. He was commissioned as an infantry officer and branch transferred to Special Forces (Green Berets) upon graduation from the Special Forces Qualification Course. During the next 12 years, he served as Detachment Executive Officer, A-Team Commander, and Company Commander in the 11th Special Forces Group.
His following key assignments include: Battalion Commander, Commander of Coalition Special Operations Forces Afghanistan, Operations and Liaison officer to special mission units Iraq, Assistant Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Special Forces Command, Brigade Commander, and Commanding General of the 100th Division.
Following his initial active duty assignments in the 1980s, Arnold was recruited by GE and completed its two-year Manufacturing Management Program. He was employed at GE for over ten years, primarily in its Aircraft Engine Business. He held assignments as a process engineer, quality manager, product line program manager for airline support, and sales engineering manager for new commercial engines. He was recruited to Advanced Drainage Systems, the worldās leading plastic pipe manufacturer, where he was employed during the next 14 years as Distribution Operations Manager, Engineering Director, Vice President Government Affairs and Market Development, and Vice President and General Manager of International Operations. Arnold was recruited by Lubrizol, a Fortune 500 company, where he led one of its global business units. While at Lubrizol, he was recruited to be the President and CEO of GSE Lining Technologies, a multinational manufacturing company that grew from $300 million to $500 Million with factories on every continent, and staff in all developed and almost all emerging market countries. After leading GSE to two record years in profits, he led it through an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Two years later, he was promoted to be the Commanding General of the Armyās 100th Division, and he resigned from GSE in order to finish his military career on active duty.
Arnold's military decorations include our nationās highest award for military service, the Distinguished Service Medal; other awards include: The Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, and Ranger Tab. He was also inducted into the 51ĀŅĀ× Army ROTC Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Medal of Merit for achievement in business from 51ĀŅĀ×, inaugurated into 51ĀŅĀ×ās College of Engineeringās Academy of Distinguished Graduates, and selected as 51ĀŅĀ×ās Alumnus of the Year in 2019.
Arnold is the Executive Director of a charitable organization that supports Ukraine and Director of a similar fund managed by the Columbus Foundation. Arnold is a Trustee of 51ĀŅĀ×ās Foundation Board, Board member and past Board Chairman of 51ĀŅĀ×ās College of Engineering, former Board member and Secretary of the Armyās Retiree Council, and President of the Special Forces Associationās Ohio Chapter. Arnold graduated from the Ohio Fire Academyās EMT and Firefighter courses, served in a professional department, and he is a medic and medic instructor.