User:Markfarias

Mark Farias is recognized as one of the most innovative and award winning fire chiefs in the nation. He is also an author on leadership and personal success, a singer-songwriter, a philanthropist and an entrepreneur.

Early life and family Farias was born in Frankfurt, Germany and emigrated to Boston, MA with his mother Brigitte when he was twelve years old. His mother was born in Hanau, Germany to Toni and Jack Leibowitz, his grandparents. Toni and Jack were the only members of either family to survive the horrors of Auschwitz and married after gaining their freedom at the hands of U.S. soldiers. Mark couldn’t speak a word of English when he arrived on the shores of America, but learned quickly. Comic books were a prominent source of entertainment, information and proper grammar. Comics also lit the fuse for his boundless love of reading. Farias graduated from B.M.C. Durfee High School in 1978. This was the oldest high school in the nation. His sister Petra and brother Derek are also B.M.C. Durfee Alums. Upon graduation, Farias joined the Air Force to “give something back” to a nation that so willingly opened its arms to his mother and himself. Farias traveled the world living in Germany, England, Italy, Spain, Korea, Japan and Honduras…Farias used these opportunities to study and apply leadership and success principles from around the globe.

Mark Farias met and married Kelley Gustavson on December 15,1979 in a civil ceremony in Bracaly, England and then again on December 23, 1979 at the church located on Croughton AFB, England while stationed at Upper Heyford AFB England. After returning to the United States a son was born, Daniel Garrett Farias on July 29,1982 at the Air Force Acedemy Hospital in Colorado Springs, Co. They divorced when their son was 2 years old. Mark and Kelley's son later passed away at the age of 24 in a car accident in King Hill, ID.

Later Years In 2001, Farias became the fire chief for the Vandenberg fire department. Through his leadership, it has become one of the most award-winning fire departments in the nation, and the only fire agency in the world that responds to air, land, sea and space emergencies. Vandenberg Air Force Base is “America’s Gateway to Space”, and is the busiest spaceport on the planet. Farias is renowned for his innovative leadership, pioneering management and emergency response programs. Not fond of official titles or any type of bureaucracy, he prefers to call himself, “The People’s Champ” – opening doors of opportunity for others, keeping it simple and being a difference maker…every single day. Wanting to stretch his talents and creativity even further, he published his first book, “Breathing Fire: Unleashing the Leader in You” through Tate Publishing. Since then, he has written books containing poems, quotable wit and wisdoms, an autobiography and is in the final editing phase of his latest magnum opus “Success 101: A Reality Guide To Kicking Ass”. He has released an 80’s style, glam-rock CD titled “Electric Honey” and will soon finish recording his next sonic extinction level CD titled “Soul Bomb”. He continues to brand himself and is aggressively preparing to enter the realm of public speaking. Mark will market himself as the success and leadership “Reality Check”. He recently married Alice Howard, whom he has been in a relationship with for fifteen years. Farias has always been an outspoken advocate for animal rights and he and Alice share their home with two cats named Cheeto and Mangles, a dog named Tootsie and a parrot named Paco.

Honors and Awards

2002 – Air Force Space Command Fire Department of the Year

2003 – Best Fire Department in the Air Force

2004 – Air Force Space Command Fire Department of the Year

2005 – Best Fire Department in the Air Force and the entire Department of Defense

2006 – Chief Fire Officer Designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence

2006 – Internationally Accredited through the Center for Public Safety Excellence

2007 – Best Fire Department in the Air Force

2008 – Air Force Space Command Fire Department of the Year

2009 – Best Fire Department in the Air Force and the entire Department of Defense

2010 – Air Force Space Command Fire Department of the Year

Works – Books and Music

Breathing Fire: Unleashing the Leader in You – This is not your typical leadership book. This is an unconventional blue-collar approach that provides practical, timeless, and universal leadership truths to help you bring out the best in yourself, your people, and ultimately, your organization. This book is filled with brief and to-the-point leadership lessons that were learned in the trenches and applied on the front lines of the workforce. From blue collar to white collar…this book is for you. Beautiful Bastard - The unwanted, unheralded and completely unnecessary autobiography of Mark T. Farias. The tales and taunts, hits and misses, facts and fictions, misadventures and misdeeds of Captain Charisma! Proof positive that the American dream is alive and well! He came to this country as a penniless 12-year old immigrant...unable to speak the language. Armed with nothing more than a loving mother, a younger sister and brother...he forged a new life. After years of hard work, he lives a fairytale existence - he's become incredibly successful in his profession and outrageously happy in his life. And therein lies the blessing of America...You can try anything you want, be anything you want, and no one can stop you...except YOU!

I Hear Voices - Provides a collection of insights and observations that span the human event horizon. Life, death and every dimension of experience and behavior in-between is chronicled in both a light-hearted and profound voice.

Immaculate Charms of the Sceptered Veil - This anthology offers a different kind of validation ...that of being well heard. This literary treasure of emotional intensity provides the capacity to give poems shape and beauty. Immaculate Charms of the Sceptered Veil plumbs the ecstatic nature of our lives. In these poems, the veiled and the sacred go hand in hand. Few writers are so capable of moving gently over deep waters. And few give such poignant glimpses into the hidden grace of ordinary days.

Electric Honey – This CD boasts a rare collection of contagiously sonic anthems that breathe life back into Rock n' Roll. These songs burst of screaming guitars, killer power riffs and contagious hooks begging to be sung along to. This is an inspired collection of contagious 80's style rock songs that are irresistible, trashy, sexy and sultry. These clever compositions of thunder and lightning also boast lyrics that are witty, unusual and full of surprising associations and metaphors. A future classic! Success 101: A Reality Guide To Kicking Ass – It's blunt, it's bold...and it's in your face. Mark pulls no punches in this controversial tome. He speaks the truth, walks the talk and delivers the goods. If you want to have more, be more and do more...then listen to what he has to say and do what he tells you to do. People don't change when they see the light...they change when they feel the heat!