2019 Alumni Awards recipients announced; Mark Arnold named Alumnus of the Year
Retired Brig. Gen. Mark Arnold will be celebrated as this year’s Ohio University Alumnus of the Year during the 2019 Alumni Awards Gala on Oct. 11. Disclaimer: It is not the intent of Ohio University to imply an endorsement by any service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
When retired Brig. Gen. Mark C. Arnold graduated from Ohio University’s Russ College of Engineering and Technology in 1982, he was named the outstanding senior in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Program. It was one of the first in a plethora of accolades he has earned many times since – as a serviceman, business leader, Bobcat and, now, Ohio University’s 2019 Alumnus of the Year.
Arnold, BSISE ’82, is one of 13 Bobcats whose professional achievements and service to their alma mater will be celebrated at the 2019Alumni Awards Gala, Ohio University’s signature Homecoming Week event.
“We are honored to be welcoming home these distinguished graduates for the pinnacle event in a week dedicated to celebrating Ohio University’s past, present and future,” said Erin Essak Kopp, assistant vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the Ohio University Alumni Association. “Each of them has not only achieved remarkable success but has never forgotten their alma mater and the role Ohio University has played in their journeys. They represent the very best of the Bobcat family and are a source of inspiration to the students following in their footsteps and the entire Ohio University community.”
The Ohio University Alumni Association’s Alumnus of the Year Award recognizes an OHIO graduate who is distinguished in their field and in service and support to the University. Arnold checks all those boxes and more – living a life defined by professional success and unparalleled service.
Approximately four months before graduating from OHIO, Arnold was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps as a Distinguished Military Graduate and began more than 37 years of military service that would take him from battlefield to commanding general.
Arnold began his military career as an enlisted soldier before being commissioned as an infantry officer and then branch transferred to Special Forces (Green Berets). He served three combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq as commander of Coalition Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan and operations and liaison officer to special mission units in Iraq. Other key military assignments included battalion commander, assistant chief of staff of U.S. Army Special Forces Command, brigade commander, and commanding general of the 100th Division. His service to country earned him the Bronze Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Service Medal, the nation’s highest award for military service.
Retired Brig. Gen. Mark Arnold is seen ringing the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012 when he was president and CEO of GSE Environmental.
While rising in the ranks of the U.S. Army, Arnold was also building an illustrious civilian career. He was recruited by several large corporations, beginning with General Electric where he spent 10 years contributing primarily to its aircraft engine business. Arnold joined Advanced Drainage Systems Inc., the world’s leading plastic pipe manufacturer, in 1993, starting as distribution operations and customer service manager and spending his last seven years with the company as corporate vice president and general manager of international operations. He served as a vice president and general manager at the Lubrizol Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, for two years before accepting the position of president and CEO of GSE Environmental, a large multinational manufacturing company. Under his leadership, the company achieved record profits and an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Arnold resigned from GSE in 2013 to finish his military career on active duty.
When not serving his country and excelling in corporate America, Arnold continues to build his legacy at his alma mater. He is a member and past chair of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology Board of Visitors, a member of the OHIO Army ROTC Society of Alumni and Friends Board of Directors, and was recently elected to The Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees. Arnold’s distinguished career and support for the University have earned him OHIO’s Medal of Merit and induction into the Ohio University Army ROTC Hall of Fame and the Russ College Academy of Distinguished Graduates. The generosity of Arnold and his wife, Karin, BSCS ’81, can be seen throughout Ohio University – from scholarships in the Russ College and the College of Arts and Sciences to the building funds for OHIO’s Academic and Research Center and its forthcoming Russ Research Opportunity Center.
“General Arnold has had a fascinating and inspiring set of parallel careers, both extremely successful, in the military and in engineering, manufacturing, and executive management and leadership,” Dennis Irwin, dean emeritus of the Russ College, wrote in one of several nominations Arnold received for the Alumnus of the Year Award. “The very fact that he was able to reach the highest levels in both the civilian and military worlds is a testament to the energy and commitment that he brings to anything he does.”
Irwin noted that even in retirement, Arnold continues to serve the public. He is the president of the Special Forces Association’s Ohio chapter and a firefighter and EMT with the Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District. He and his wife are Master Gardener Volunteers in Franklin County and work dozens of hours each year at OSU’s Master Gardener Volunteer garden where organic gardening is showcased and the produce grown is donated to local shelters.
Arnold will be among the guests of honor at the 2019 Alumni Awards Gala on Oct. 11 where the following awards will be presented:
Medal of Merit Awards
Presented to alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields, this year’s recipients are:
- Jeffery M. Baran, BA ’98, MA ’98, staunch protector of public health, safety and the environment
- Robert Emmett Boyle, MS ’70, engineering and executive extraordinaire
- Elizabeth S. Campbell, MFA ’97, gifted and passionate artist
- Mona E. Miliner, BSH ’92, MHA ’94, results-driven healthcare executive and visionary leader
- Abdul Williams, BSC ’94, award-winning screenwriter and producer
Distinguished Service Awards
Recognizing alumni who have supported Ohio University and the Ohio University Alumni Association through alumni chapters, societies and other organizations, this year’s honorees are:
- William L. Axline, BBA ’71, staunch supporter of student success
- Anthony Webb, BSC ’76, Bobcat bridge-builder
Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award
Presented to alumni whose OHIO education has been a factor in outstanding accomplishments achieved within 15 years of having earned their first bachelor’s degree and who have demonstrated community leadership and been actively engaged with the University through exemplary service or support, the 2019 recipient is:
- Kyle D. Kondik, BSJ ’06, trusted political and elections analyst
The Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame
Honoring outstanding athletes, coaches, staff members and administrators who have brought recognition to Ohio University through their significant athletic achievements, the 2019 inductees are:
- Ryan S. Kyes, BBA ’02, MBA ’03, Baseball, 1998-2001
- Julia N. Stover, BSRS ’06, Volleyball, 2002-2005
- Tyler L. Tettleton, BSSPS ’13, Football, 2009-2013
The Glenn C. Randall Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded periodically by the Ohio Athletics Department to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement and support of OHIO Intercollegiate Athletics and achieved great accomplishments in the athletics/sports industry as well as in their personal and/or professional life, this year’s awardee is:
- Larry E. Hunter, BSED ’71, MED ’73, basketball alumnus and history-making coach
For more information on all of this year’s Alumni Awards recipients, click here.
The 2019Alumni Awards Gala kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, in the Baker University Center Ballroom. For more information and tickets, click here.
Nominations for the Ohio University Alumni Association’s 2020 Alumni Awards are being accepted now through Dec. 31. For more information or to submit a nomination, click here.