Dave Arnold

Senior Vice President
Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships
Adventures on the Gorge

Photo by Adventures on the Gorge.

By Maggie Matsko

Dave Arnold, senior vice president of public relations and strategic partnerships at Adventures on the Gorge, has had a great appreciation for the outdoors since he was a child. “Growing up in Cincinnati, I spent a lot of time on our family farm in Fayetteville, Ohio,” he says. “It’s an area known as the edge of Appalachia, so my entire life I feel I have had one foot in Appalachia and one foot out. This has had a lot to do with who I have become.”

Arnold grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, believing there was no difference between work, play and family. It was his grandfather who fueled Arnold’s passion for the outdoors while teaching him important lessons about business. “My grandfather was my top mentor,” he says. “He owned a trucking company that grew to be one of the top 100 trucking companies in America, and after 40 years, it went bankrupt. The lessons I learned by growing up with this rise and fall, along with all the conversations we had later in life, affect me every day.”

Arnold followed his passion for the outdoors to another town called Fayetteville, this time in West Virginia. There, he began his first professional job as a river guide on the New and Gauley rivers in 1977. “That first job taught me to work hard and play hard, to always be passionate about what you do, to treat people with respect, to celebrate diversity and to embrace change,” he says. It also taught him about the delicate balance of entertaining rafters while keeping them safe, and it planted in him a deep-rooted love for the Mountain State.

In 1978, Arnold combined his entrepreneurial heritage with his love for whitewater rafting by joining forces with Kevin Whelan and Doug and Jeff Proctor and founding Class VI River Runners. “When we started Class VI River Runners, a lot of people looked at us as outsiders, but certain business people in Fayette County, like Judge Robert Abbot, Frank Mahan, Bud Hill, Shad Dummit, Otis Morton and his brothers, saw something. They embraced us and taught us so much about what makes this place unique.” Today, that endeavor has evolved into Adventures on the Gorge, which is quickly becoming a world-class adventure resort.

It’s been a wild ride for Arnold, but of course work is never really work when you love what you do. As his business has grown, so has his role in shaping the state’s tourism industry. Arnold has been a voice for West Virginia tourism for the past 25 years, a responsibility he takes very seriously and is eager to share with others.

“Our staff is probably sick of me asking them who they represent,” he says. “Many say the company, many say themselves—these are all good answers. But I see us representing West Virginia. Every day we change someone’s view on this state, and it is needed today more than ever.”

In addition to being an outspoken advocate for West Virginia tourism, Arnold’s love for the Mountain State has been shown through the multiple ways he has given back. He has served on the West Virginia Tourism Commission for more than 20 years, championing the growth and success of the industry. For more than 10 years, he has dedicated his time as chairman of the West Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, served on the West Virginia Economic Development Authority and was part of the team that successfully bid to bring the Summit Bechtel Reserve to Fayetteville for the Boy Scouts of America. Arnold also serves on the board of the New River Gorge Economic Development Authority and as an ex-officio member for the West Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association’s board.

Arnold finds his motivation in beautiful rivers and the people who love them. His greatest professional achievement has been helping build an adventure resort for guests to enjoy while providing a great place to work. As for the reason he works so hard to promote and grow tourism in the Mountain State, the answer is simple: “Because West Virginia has given me so much.”

1974-1975 Taught kayaking and canoeing at Falling Creek Camp in Tuxedo, NC

1976-1977 Guided whitewater trips for Mountain River Tours

1977 Graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a pre-med degree

1978-2007 Co-founded, owned and operated Class VI River Runners

1984 Appointed to the WVDNR Whitewater Advisory Board

1992 Appointed to the WV Economic Development Council

1994 Appointed to the WV Tourism Commission by Gov. Gaston Caperton

2001 Appointed chairman of the WV Tourism Commission

2006 Joined the New River Gorge Economic Development Authority

2008 Co-founded Adventures on the Gorge