Education

Mark Altman was born in Cut and Shoot, TX. Mark Altman attended Conroe High School, then after a short stint at Texas Christian University Altman enlisted into the US Army as an infantry soldier. He then earned a BAAS at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He came back to SFA as an ROTC Instructor where he earned a Master of Interdisciplinary Degree, and is engaged in PhD work in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University.

Adventure

In 2001, Altman and his oldest son Mark II (then aged 10), rode mountain bikes from Rome, Italy to Edinburgh, Scotland. Before Altman deployed to Iraq in 2005, he, his wife Dawn Altman, and all four of his children (Mark II, Bailey, Matthew and Meagan) rode specialized tricycles from Cape Lookout State Park in Oregon, to Washington D.C. Altman is still involved in all sorts of High Adventure activities like Mountain Climbing, White Water Rafting, Rock Climbing, Spelunking, and also is a Rescue Level Scuba Diver.

Experience

Altman has been interviewed internationally on television, radio, and in print for leadership and family issues and has been seen on several episodes of Friday Night Lights. Altman also writes a weekly, family focused, newspaper column Family Matters”, published in seven newspapers in four states, read by over a million people nationwide. His infectious attitude and ability to captivate an audience makes him well liked as a speaker. Many testimonials about his performance mention that his dynamic and engaging personality allows him to carry his message in an effective and interesting manner. Altman's leadership experience include a 20 year service record in the United States Army where he gained the rank of Major, and also attended Armored Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne and Air Assault Schools, and various other leadership schools.

Awards

In addition to numerous Army awards, Altman was awarded a Certificate of Merit in 1978 for saving a girl from drowning and the Eagle Scout award in 1983. In 1996, he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for saving the life of a young man with a severe neck injury, floating face down in Lake Conroe.

Occupations

Altman's occupations include:

• Adventurer
• Army Officer
• Author
• Educator
• Columnist
• Speaker

Mark Altman's philosophy on leadership is based on the work of Robert Greenleaf, Steven Covey, and a number of others in the Servant Leadership Model. He is a pioneer in studying the connection between Philial Love and Servant Leadership.

Mark Altman defines several pieces to leadership in his book Leadership for All the Mountains You Climb: While Loving the View. These pieces are:

• Philial Love (Care and Compassion)
• Vision
• Power
• Management