Mark F. Fassl, Williamsville EAST High School, Class of 1980

Mark F. Fassl is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who currently serves as the first Inspector General for the State of Alabama, Department of Corrections where he is responsible for reviewing department policies, practices, and providing oversight for internal affairs investigations. His motto, “First Be Right – Then Move Forward.”

Col. Fassl’s military career spanned 29 years at numerous levels of command in the U.S. Army and NATO. He served as Inspector General for the NATO Training Mission Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan and principle advisor/trainer to the Afghan Ministers of Defense and Interior Inspector Generals from 2011-2012, reporting directly to Lieutenant General William Caldwell,Commander NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, and General David Petraeus, Commanderof U.S. Forces in Afghanistan.  As NATO Afghanistan Inspector General, he investigated and corrected serious systemic deficiencies within the National Military Hospital and in 2012, delivered sworn testimony about the situation to the U.S. Congressional Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C. Upon his retirement from service, he was director of the U.S. Army Joint Support Team at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurburt Field, FL. Among his many service decorations, Col. Fassl has received the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit Medal, the NATO Humanitarian Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Service Medal.  

After graduating from Williamsville East, Col. Fassl enrolled in the ROTC Program at Canisius College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Education. He also holds a master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. He is currently a member of the Army Faculty at the Air War College in Montgomery, AL. 

Col. Fassl resides inEnterprise, AL with his wife, Jennifer, and their two daughters, Julia and Jillian.