Title: Chief Executive Officer, Chapter Service Officer and Adjutant
Company: Disabled American Veterans, Department of Arizona
Location: Mesa, Arizona, United States
Dr. Carl B. Forkner, chief executive officer, chapter service officer and adjutant for the Department of Arizona at Disabled American Veterans, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Military for dedication, achievements, and leadership in veteran services.
Committed to supporting the military through his own service and continued engagement, Dr. Forkner has become an unerring advocate for veterans. He joined the U.S. Navy as an officer trainee in 1983, beginning nearly 30 years of service. Dr. Forkner recalls his first morning of training under an intense Vietnam veteran Marine drill instructor. Of the 61 recruits who entered training with him, five left on the first day and only 18 made it to graduation.
After finishing his training, Dr. Forkner stepped into the position of manager and flight instructor for Patrol Squadron 24. Continuing his progress through roles of increasing responsibility in the Navy, including senior manager, senior analyst and commander for Carrier Strike Group 1; president, chief operating officer and chief executive officer of Antarctic Development Squadron 6; senior vice president at the Center for Naval Analyses; vice president of operations for the USS Carl Vinson; vice president of operations for the Western Air Defense Sector Headquarters; deputy course director and red team adviser for the Joint Land, Air & Sea Strategic Special Program (JLASS) at the Air War College; instructor of joint operations for the Air Force Culture and Language Center; and assistant professor in international security studies at the Air War College. Building on his experience as a teacher, Dr. Forkner’s final years in active service with the Navy were devoted to work as a director of the cooperative culture and language education program, and seminar director, curriculum developer and academic instructor of the international leader course at the Air War College. He retired from the Navy as a commissioned officer and commander in 2011.
Concurrently with his military service, Dr. Forkner contributed as a teacher in the civilian world as well. He fulfilled tenures as the director of the learning disabilities resource program at Monmouth High School, adjunct faculty in the music and religious studies departments at Monmouth College, special education teacher at Macomb High School, teaching assistant in the department of special education at Western Illinois University, and science instructor at Springfield, Virginia, public schools. After leaving the military, Dr. Forkner joined Success Professional Consulting as a chief consultant, where he collaborated with companies to provide professional training courses and seminars. This led him to Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants, where he became the director of marketing and special projects in 2014, followed by swift promotions to director of training development and chief operating officer.
Seeking to honor his military service and support other veterans, Dr. Forkner first became affiliated with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in 2018 as a chapter adjutant. Since then, he has served as a commander for the northern district, commander for Chapter 8 and vice commander for the Department of Arizona. Since 2019, Dr. Forkner has held the position of chapter service officer, while adding the duties of chief executive officer and adjutant for the Department of Arizona in 2025. He assists with Veterans Affairs claims while overseeing the activities of 15 chapters and coordinating with three Veterans Affairs hospitals across the state of Arizona.
Dr. Forkner’s performance in the field was born of his academic journey, beginning with a Bachelor of Arts from Monmouth College in 1980. He went on to obtain a Master of Education from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Air War College, both completed in 1983. Returning to the academic world after his military service, Dr. Forkner earned a PhD in education administration from the University of Phoenix in 2013. He is currently pursuing a second PhD in psychology with an emphasis on behavioral health leadership from Liberty University.
In addition to his military career, Dr. Forkner is a dedicated husband to his wife, Joanne, a loving father to three children — 38-year-old Keith, 36-year-old Krystle and 34-year-old Brandon — and a caring grandfather to two granddaughters, ages 15 and 5. In his free time, he relaxes by bowling, swimming and watching movies.
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