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Special Feature - by Dan Arnold
What Illinois has placed under America's Christmas Tree (Long Version)
What Illinois has placed under America's Christmas Tree (Short Version)
“All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind.” - Abraham Lincoln
Born in 1957 Dan Arnold attended Northern Illinois University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in business marketing in 1981. At the age of 26, he started his first entrepreneurial venture, Road Ranger LLC, with $5,000 - turning it into a multi-million dollar franchise before selling it to Phillips Petroleum Company. For the next seven years, he built a real estate investment company. In 1997 Dan restarted the Road Ranger chain which now has outlets in seven States.
Now, with more than 90 retail outlets and annual sales near $1 billion, Road Ranger LLC is a leading convenience store and travel plaza retail franchise employing over 1,000 people throughout the Midwest.
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Dan Arnold is active in the local community and a global philanthropist. He currently supports the following organizations:
- Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors
- Christ for All Nations (CfaN), The Ministry of Reinhard Bonnke, Board Member, USA
- Travel The Road Television Series, Patron
- Kids Around The World, Board Member
- Northern Illinois University College of Business, Advisor
- Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Patron
- Gideon International Christian Professional Men’s Association, Member
- Reformers Unanimous International Addiction Abstinence Ministry, Executive Leadership Committee
- History’s Handful, Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ
- Ray Comfort, Living Waters Director
Dan Arnold has also held leadership roles in these organizations and many others:
- Former Director – The Military Ministry for the Armed Forces of the United States of America, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ – Awarded “Taking the Stick Leadership Award”
- Former Director – John Guest Evangelistic Team
- Former Director – O.I.C. Vocational Institute – Awarded “Volunteer of the Year”
- Former Director – Amcore Mortgage, Inc., Amcore Financial Inc. NASDAQ: AMFI
- Finance Chairman – Citizens to Elect Judge Kapala to Circuit Court, currently the sole Federal Judgeship in Rockford, IL
- Finance Chairman – Citizens to Re-Elect Senator Syerson
- Illinois Army National Guard, 129th Infantry Division
Dan is also teacher and speaker on Biblical subjects as well as an amateur military historian. He is married to Linda, his high school sweetheart.
