“Fred’s passion for community service and his love for our Veterans is unparalleled.”

Fred Arnold has a long list of qualifications making him a valuable asset to College of the Canyons and to the community at large. He’s a successful business owner who’s dedicated himself to helping people qualify for and access funding for their homes. He’s served as chair of the SCV Chamber, on the OLPH School Board and the California Association of Mortgage Brokers. The list goes on and on and is included here on his campaign website. What you may not know, and isn’t listed there, is Fred’s passion and history of supporting local veterans and deployed active duty members.

I’ve known Fred since March of 2010; I had just accepted a position with Congressman McKeon as his Veterans Affairs Field Representative. I had been in Washington for the onboarding process for new hires while, unbeknownst to me, Ian Gelig’s family had been struck with the news that Sgt. Gelig had been killed in action with an IED in Afghanistan. Wanting to ensure the community stepped up to support the family and honor our local fallen soldier, Fred made a few calls. He discovered that no plans outside the standard protocols had been arranged. He immediately sprang into action, notifying school principals, fire captains, HOAs, and anybody he could hand a flyer to. Those of us who were in Santa Clarita in March, 2010 remember the scene. Thousands of patriots lined the streets while Sgt. Ian Gelig made his final passage through the SCV. The next week, Congressman McKeon asked me to deliver a certificate of Congressional Recognition to Fred and to express his gratitude for helping to honor Sgt. Gelig. That’s when I got to meet Fred for the first time.

Fred and I would work together over the next few weeks with many community leaders, Supervisor Antonovich’s office, the American Legion, VFW and Patriot Guard Riders to assemble a plan in the case that we ever needed to replicate Fred’s work after losing another member of the armed forces. Unfortunately, we would have to put it into action twice more over the next couple years in order to honor Jake Suter and Rudy Acosta. Both times, Fred was there, ready to do anything necessary to support the families and honor their sons. 

Over that same course of time, I was serving as the Commander of the Newhall American Legion. Fred signed up as a member and while I was there, he was among the top financial contributors to our programs. With Fred’s support, we formed veteran scholarships for students attending COC, he hosted care packaging events for deployed active duty members at his office, he helped to plan and donated to the Vietnam Wall celebration and the Armed Forces Day Celebration. 

I could go on and on, but this endorsement is already too long. The bottom line is that Fred’s passion for community service and his love for our Veterans is unparalleled. I urge all Veterans, active duty, reserve and their family members to vote for Fred Arnold for the College of the Canyons College Board. You won’t regret it.

JD Kennedy

Past Commander, Newhall American Legion

Fred Arnold for COC Board of Trustees

SANTA CLARITA – Longtime community and business leader Fred Arnold announced today that he is seeking to further serve the Santa Clarita Valley by representing Area 3 on the College of the Canyons Board of Trustees.

“Santa Clarita is close to my heart and, having served on the College of the Canyons Foundation board, I’m proud that this school is changing the lives of so many in our community, in so many positive ways,” Arnold said in announcing his candidacy for the community college’s board. “Having spent nearly three decades as a business professional, I understand the value of a good investment, and an education from COC is one of the most valuable investments a person can make.”

As a COC trustee, Arnold’s goals include promoting student access, both online and on campus, to educational classes and programs that will enable them to achieve their educational and professional goals. He’s also an outspoken advocate of transparency in the management of taxpayers’ money and expanded access to education for military veterans and re-entry students seeking career shifts.

“I’m energized about the future, and I’m looking forward to drawing upon my experience in the business world as well as my background working with community-based organizations to help COC continue building on its track record of excellence and student achievement,” Arnold said.

Arnold is a father of four children and has finished 17 Ironman competitions, which he says has helped him develop a strong sense of personal discipline and accountability. He has served as the president of the California Association of Mortgage Brokers as well as the treasurer for the National Association of Mortgage Professionals. Locally, Arnold has served on numerous charitable organizations, currently including The Child and Family Center board, COC Foundation board and the SCV Disaster Coalition board, and was previously the chairman of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce and president of the OLPH School Board.

“There are so many exciting opportunities for partnerships with local businesses, to help our students gain the experience and connections they need to succeed,” Arnold said. “I’m also excited about the opportunities for growth to serve the needs of the students on our Canyon Country campus, as COC continues to evolve as a multi-campus community college powerhouse.”

About Fred Arnold
Fred Arnold is a three-decade leader, speaker, coach and mortgage professional in the real estate and mortgage banking industry. He coaches Realtors and mortgage professionals on life and sales excellence and often speaks to business and consumer groups on the economy, the state of the housing market and how to get the best investment when buying real estate. For more information: www.FredArnold4coc.com