Biography of Dale Collie

When you work with Dale, he will learn a lot about your 
organization to develop the best presentation possible - 
relevant, to the point, and motivational. You’ll receive a bio, 
picture, and introduction. Handouts and resource guides will be 
prepared. And there will be several telephone conversations or 
personal visits leading up to the presentation. 
 
Through all of this, though, you might want to know a little 
more about Dale, to find out some of the background that makes 
him what he is, what makes him tick. 
 
Unlike many speakers, Dale brings to the platform more than 
forty years of real-world experience. His key points are 
illustrated with success stories from his own experience, and he 
helps others reach even higher. 
 
A famous speaker once encouraged Dale to develop one sentence 
that would reveal the essence of his activities, his goals, and 
his ambition. From that challenge, Dale quickly discovered that 
all of his important achievements pointed like a laser beam on 
one thing, helping other people succeed. 
 
From his early leadership responsibilities in Boy Scouts through 
his military career, corporate success, and teaching at West 
Point and other universities - Dale has always focused on 
helping others do their best. His grandparents taught him to 
believe the best about others. 
 
Dale grew up on a farm near where his father was born in a log 
cabin, the prodigy of Scottish immigrants, pioneers, and 
trailblazers combined with ancient Cherokee DNA that give Dale 
his sense of adventure and appreciation of nature’s wonders. 
 
His mother is the daughter of German adventurers who immigrated 
to the USA before the great wars tore Europe apart. Her parents 
met after Ellis Island and moved to the farmlands near Hannibal, 
Missouri. Both of Dale’s parents grew up in large families that 
eked their living out of the soil. From them he learned the 
values of hard work and trusting neighbors. 
 
The world was changing for Dale’s generation, however, and in 
these two long lines of ancestry, he was the first person to 
gain an undergraduate degree. President Jack Kennedy’s challenge 
to succeed in space influenced Dale to study Chemistry. His love 
of vicarious adventure influenced him to study English and 
American literature, leading to a BS in Chemistry and English. 
 
His college years carry the memory of the grassy knoll in 
Dallas, Sputnik, Elvis, and the Beatles. Graduation brought with 
it a commission as a Second Lieutenant, US Army Ranger School, 
and assignments in Germany before going to Vietnam to command a 
company of infantry in the rice paddies and jungles. 
 
Dale’s sense of succeeding in spite of great odds played a huge 
role in his recovery from combat wounds and continuation on 
active duty as an amputee. While this is common in the military 
today, Dale was the first Vietnam Era infantry officer permitted 
to continue on active duty as an amputee.  
 
Within a couple of years Dale had made a name for himself in the 
Army’s tank branch, then served as aide-de-camp (personal 
business assistant) for Major General George Patton, son of the 
WW II famed general. His achievements were recognized with an 
opportunity to study for his Masters Degree in and doctoral work 
in English at Michigan State University and an assignment to 
teach at West Point. 
 
Dale put all of this experience to use in Fortune 500 companies 
upon his retirement from the Army. His application of military 
strategy and US Army Ranger skills surprised the competition and 
brought success in areas traditionally thought impossible. His 
unique ability to apply the military basics in the corporate 
arena is still part of what he brings to clients today. 
 
He was later recruited to head up a near bankrupt charity and 
within a short time guided it into a $37 million operation, 
going from a one-city homeless shelter to a nationwide food 
distributor and an international charity to support orphanages 
in Eastern Europe. Fast Company (the business magazine) 
recognized Dale for these efforts and names him one of America’s 
Fast 50 innovative leaders for the expansion and for starting 
businesses in Ukraine to employee the impoverished and support 
bankrupted orphanages. 
 
Focusing on solutions rather than problems has enabled Dale to 
succeed when everyone else focused on impossibilities. His books 
and presentations continue to help others in the face of 
adversity. Both his motivational messages and the high-content 
presentations are designed specifically to help individuals and 
organizations improve performance and profitability.