EP72 The Future of WPAOG with COL (R) Mark D. Bieger ’91, President & CEO of WPAOG

This episode features an interview with COL (R) Mark Bieger ’91, President & CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates.Mark graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and commissioned as an Infantry officer. For more than 28 years in the U.S. Army, he held leadership positions at the platoon, company, battalion, and brigade levels, deploying twice to Iraq and receiving the Silver Star for valorous actions. Mark also served in staff positions, including on the Army Staff at the Pentagon, with the U.S. Central Command in MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and with the U.S. Army’s Pacific Command at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Prior to his retirement from the Army in December 2019, he served as USMA chief of staff.In this episode, Mark talks about his West Point experience and the highlights of his Army career, his mission and goals for the WPAOG and the Margin of Excellence programs they have to offer, and the importance of recognizing and utilizing the benefits of the Long Gray Line.-----Key Quotes:“Every university has a development office. Most universities have alumni associations. Only West Point has the Long Gray Line. And there's other universities out there in the nation that would like to achieve that ideal or that group, but the Long Gray Line is a powerful force, and our graduates and their families are strong, connected, active, and passionate, I believe. And at the core of all of our graduates is a genuine love for their academy and maybe even more so a commitment to other grads.” - Mark Bieger----Episode Timestamps:(02:01) Mark’s background and West Point experience(08:03) Highlights of his Army career(16:50) Transitioning from the Army(23:44) Goals and mission for the WPAOG(40:07) The Ring Melt(42:02) Margin of Excellence programs(47:30) Final thoughts----Links:Mark Bieger’s LinkedInDave Siry’s LinkedInWest Point Association of Graduates We’d love your feedback—take a minute to complete our short podcast survey and help us make future episodes even better!