CDR CARL FORKNER, phd, USN(Ret)
Dr. Forkner is Past Commander and a Level II Service Officer at East Valley Chapter 8 for Disabled American Veterans (DAV), assisting his fellow veterans and their families in receiving the benefits & assistance they have earned through their service. He also serves as the Adjutant & CEO for DAV Department of Arizona, with cognizance over the state's 15 DAV Chapters and programs at three VA medical centers and associated VA clinics. He is Chair of the Mesa Veterans Program and a trained Military/Veteran Resource Navigator and Veteran-Ready Healthcare Provider.
​
Dr. Forkner is on the Board for the East Valley Veterans Foundation, on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Veterans Resourced Center, a Champion & Trainer for Dementia Friendly Mesa, Field Advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and an Ambassador for Objective Zero to help prevent military, veteran, and family member suicides. He holds a BA in History and Secondary Education from Monmouth College (1980), MSEd in Special Education from Western Illinois University (1984), MSS in International Security Affairs from the Air War College (2006), PhD in Higher Education Administration from University of Phoenix (2013), and a PhD in Psychology from Liberty University (2026).
​
After three years teaching at high school and undergraduate collegiate levels, Dr. Forkner served as a commissioned officer in the United Stated Navy from 1983 to 2011. He was designated a Naval Flight Officer and later a Surface Warfare Officer, flying multiple tactical aircraft and operating at sea on 2 submarines, a cruiser, a destroyer, and 12 aircraft carriers. Following his Navy career, Dr. Forkner was Chief Operating Officer and Director of Training at Dynamic Worldwide Training in Tempe, AZ, from 2014-2018 and a Research Psychologist with Vitanya Brain Performance from 2018-2022. He currently acts as a Research Psychologist with Success Consulting in the Phoenix East Valley region.
​
Operational experience during his Navy career included eight overseas deployments. He served in three counter-terrorism operations, including the 1986 Operation El Dorado against Libya, 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Noble Eagle & Presidential Support while attached to NORAD from 2002-2005. In addition to DAV, he is also a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the American Legion, the Navy League, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
​
He was recipient of five Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal awards during his career, USO Volunteer Service to Education Award, Coach of the Season Award, Career Connectors Volunteer of the Year Award, Disabled Veteran of the Year for 2020 and 2022, and the DAV Department of Arizona Distinguished Service Award for 2024 and runner-up for the DAV National Disabled Veteran of the Year Award in 2024. He was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in October 2025 and selected as Grand Marshal representing Cold War Veterans in the 2025 Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.