Zack Arnold

President & CEO, Infinity Natural Resources, LLC

By Lori Kersey

Zack Arnold, president and CEO of Infinity Natural Resources, LLC, was a teenager in his hometown of Waterford, Ohio, when he got his first taste of entrepreneurship: mowing lawns for a handful of families and businesses. It wasn’t until his senior year of high school, though, that he chose the oil and natural gas industry as a career path. Arnold’s first professional job as an intern at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in Notrees, TX, solidified his love for the industry.

“I realized I had oilfield in my blood,” he says. “Driving through the dust of west Texas and working on the old oil wells there, I realized this was my calling.”

After graduating from Marietta College, Arnold landed a coveted job working for Chevron in Bakersfield, CA. He and his wife, Krista, were happy there until the birth of their first child, Christian, in 2006.

“Christian was about 30 seconds old when my wife said she was moving to West Virginia and asked if I wanted to go too,” he says.

Arnold was unsure of his job prospects in the Mountain State. Companies were not yet drilling Marcellus wells, but he agreed to look because it was important to be closer to both their families. As luck would have it, he landed a job working for Chesapeake Energy in Buckhannon and helped the company kick off its Marcellus and Utica developments.

Arnold’s entrepreneurial dreams came true in 2017 when he and his business partners co-founded Infinity Natural Resources.

“We committed to a risky dream and were able to form a cohesive business model, secure funding and execute our plan in a very challenging climate,” he says. “As the president and CEO of a small company, I can fill any given role on any given day. I love showing up at work knowing every single person feels the same way and is aligned with what we are trying to do.”

Working in such a volatile industry has taught Arnold to cherish his family. “Our business’ profitability is driven by things outside of my control, and it can be difficult to not relate business challenges to personal failures,” he says. “I have learned to focus on my success as a husband and father. Family will be there for you when prices are good and when prices are bad.”

This dedication to family drives Arnold in his professional, personal and community commitments. After their 1-month-old baby, Elle, died of a rare heart defect in 2008, he and his wife founded the Elle Foundation, a nonprofit that provides research and treatment for children with congenital heart defects.

“The Elle Foundation has provided life-saving programs and equipment to six different hospitals across the country, including the pediatric cardiology department at Ruby Memorial Hospital,” says Arnold. “These programs and equipment have impacted hundreds of children and their families.”

His other service commitments are also centered around supporting and empowering youth. He helps create awareness for the oil and natural gas industry by giving tours and speaking to community groups, legislators, first responders and college students, and he supports the anti-bullying program Building Hope in several northern West Virginia high schools. Arnold also coaches youth soccer and basketball teams and volunteers with the Notre Dame High School cross country and track teams.

“My goal is to help other people have hope,” he says. “Too many kids in West Virginia don’t see a bright future because they can’t see past their immediate challenges. I want to help them realize no one is defined by their circumstances.”

A mountain runner with 15 ultramarathons under his belt ranging from 50 kilometers to 50 miles, Arnold enjoys running on some of the most challenging terrain in the country, and he is glad to be in West Virginia both for its extensive trail systems and family atmosphere.

“To experience a small West Virginia town is a glimpse back in time to when neighbors cared a little bit more and families reached out to one another,” he says. “Couple that with the steps it is taking to improve technology and work options, and I think it provides the best of both worlds: stable family values and future opportunities.”