Remembering Jon Arnold – a man larger than life itself
Some people may have noticed the Microsoft product flags at half-mast on Monday. This is in memory of my great friend and Managing Director of Worldwide Power and Utilities, Mr. Jon Arnold. Jon passed away Thursday, May 14, 2015 and services were held Sunday, May 17. Jon Arnold was a tremendous person with a huge heart. He was a dedicated, caring father and a family man. Jon is survived by his wife Magelda, daughter Sierra, son Brice (and Andrea, former wife).
Jon was a close friend, to me and many, many others. He has been a friend, a mentor and more for all of us. He touched so very many people. One of my favorite memories was calling Jon from Kala Patar by Mount Everest Base Camp. It was 3am! Jon took the call and celebrated my accomplishment of summiting the 18, 500ft peak. That was the way he was.
Jon was also a thought leader in the industry. He was genuine, caring, energetic, ethical, and hard-working. He was a fantastic Microsoft ambassador. Jon was a featured speaker at government hearings and industry conferences, and during his career he testified on behalf of the industry before Congress, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the White House Y2K Power Group on utility technology issues. Jon has been featured in media interviews with The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, MSNBC, FOX, Voice of America and many worldwide utility trade and technology magazines. Jon loved being in the limelight and enjoyed speaking at the National Press Club, as well as appearing on local, national, and international radio/television. Jon was even named as one of Greentech Media’s top influencers in the Smart Grid market. Jon was a prolific blogger, authoring over 330 Microsoft Power and Utilities blogs in the past few years.
Jon mastered his media skills at McGraw Hill where he was editor-in-chief for the energy magazines. Jon ran the EnergyIT and Energy Business & Technology magazines which were published nine times a year by Platts. This was the most widely read trade magazine in the energy utility industry, with a controlled circulation of over 38,000.
Jon was also CIO for the Edison Electric Institute for 10 years prior to joining Microsoft. Jon was responsible for IT at the Washington, DC-based Edison Electric Institute, including design, implementation, purchasing, recruitment and customer communications. Visiting EEI with Jon was nothing short of a class reunion!
Jon started up and ran the Power and Utilities industry team at Microsoft for 10 years. I was lucky enough to work with him for the past eight. He was great at things which were not my forte, and vice versa. He supported partners from new innovative startups, to the most influential in the industry. He was an unending advocate for not only large corporations, but small companies as well. He loved what he did. He did everything with passion, energy and put a lot of thought into all he did.
Jon will be dearly missed. We wish strength and patience to all he left behind. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and all of his loved ones.
In agreement with the wishes of his family, I have created a memorial fund through the American Heart Association. Jon passed away from a heart attack. The selection of the American Heart Association also complements Jon’s dedication to the support of people worldwide: Jon was Director of IT for the American Red Cross from 1986 through 1990.
Please help us make a difference by contributing in memory of Jon. Whatever you can give will be appreciated, and everything helps. Thank you for your support.
To make a donation online, visit the American Heart Association.
To send a donation: Make all checks payable to: American Heart/American Stroke Association Mail to: Larry Cochrane 61 Cascade Key, Bellevue, WA 98006-1023
