ABOUT CHARLES
Charles G. Irion is a publisher, best-selling and award-winning author, successful entrepreneur, adventurer, humanitarian, executive producer and actor. For several decades, he has served as the sole proprietor and broker for U.S. Park Investments, a leading operator of Manufactured Home and RV communities in the United States. Before that, he was a pharmaceutical representative for Johnson and Johnson, McNeil Laboratories after completing his Masters of Business Administration in International Marketing and Finance from the ASU Thunderbird School of Business, formerly known as Thunderbird School of Global Management.
One of his life-long passions is for the written word. Determined to make his dreams a reality, he wrote and published fourteen books comprised of the Summit Murder Mystery series, and the Hell series. Inspired by his 1987 attempt to climb Mt. Everest, and a 2011 summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, each book in the Summit Murder Mystery series is set atop the highest point of the world's seven continents. Deaths from falls, avalanches, illness, heart attacks, and high altitude sickness are a matter of course, and when you add in murder, action and adventure, the combination makes for unforgettable reads. The climb begins with the first book in the series, Murder on Everest, and is followed with
Murder on Elbrus, Murder on Mt. McKinley, Murder on Puncak Jaya, Murder on Aconcagua, Murder on Vinson Massif, and ends with Murder on Kilimanjaro. There is also a novella, Abandoned on Everest. The Hell Series includes, Remodeling Hell, Autograph Hell, Car Dealer Hell, and Divorce Hell. He also published a fun novelty cookbook for outdoorsmen called, Roadkill Cooking for Campers - "The Best Dang Wild Game Cookbook in the World."
Many years ago, Irion's first medical mission was to Benjamin Hill Senora, Mexico with the Phil Am Lion's Club. Even then, he knew that medical missions were experiences he wanted to continue. Charles is currently President of the Phil-Am Lions Club in Phoenix, Arizona and has participated in medical missions in a village near Subic Bay, Philippines and in Caborca, Mexico to provide approximately 300 free cataract surgeries to needy patients. He also traveled to the Municipal Hospital in San Pablo City, Laguna Philippines with the 3000 Club, to administer eye and diabetic screenings for those in need.
In June 2011, Irion went on a trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro with the K2 Adventures Foundation. They took Project C.U.R.E. supplies and used them to examine more than 200 patients. The following year, he visited Lima, Peru to help translate for the doctors and nurses at a C.U.R.E. clinic for a day. In addition to philanthropy trips and translating services, Charles participated in the training session at the Denver headquarters to become a certified Needs Assessment Representative. He went to Burkina Faso, Africa for the field training requirement and his first assessment alone was in Cuenca, Ecuador to conduct assessments on a hospital and a mobile surgical unit. His next assessment trip to Nicaragua included assessments of Project C.U.R.E. Clinics, where he translated for the doctors and passed out medicines and vitamins to children and adults. Since then, he has also conducted needs assessments to Ouanaminthe, Haiti; El Banco,Colombia; Santa Marta, Colombia; Buenaventura, Colombia; Cali, Colombia; Boma, DRC; Lumbumbashi, DRC; Kalemie, DRC; Lima, Peru; Machu Picchu, Peru; Bahia Kino, Mexico; Nogales, Mexico; Benjamin Hill, Sonora Mexico; Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Belize City, Belize; Cuba; Antigua, Guatemala; Guatemala City, Guatemala; San Jose, Costa Rica; Jaco, Costa Rica; Panama City, Panama; Zambia, Zaire, DRC; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Moshi, Tanzania; Manilia, Philippines; Zambales, Philippines; San Pablo, Philippines; Kenya; Mumbai, Ladakh, India; Guanaja, Honduras; Gokana LGA, Nigeria; Khana LGA, Nigeria; Nyop-Khana LGA, Nigeria; Eleme LGA, Nigeria; Belize City, Belize; San Pedro, Belize; Caye Caulker, Belize; Nyamata, Rwanda; Longido District, Tanzania; Gombe State, Nigeria and Bamako, Mali. He loves being involved with such an amazing organization and helping those that really need it. In that spirit, his slogan is One World One People™
Irion's passion for adventure has encompassed the full gamut. He has traveled to over 60 countries throughout the world. SCUBA diving is a favorite hobby of Irion's and he has seen the underwater world from California to Mexico, Costa Rica, the South China sea, Belize, Colombia, Rio De Janeiro, the island of Phuket in Thailand, Bali, and in Subic Bay of the Philippines. Irion has also skydived throughout Arizona, loved the thrill of white water rafting on Pacuare River in Costa Rica, and in 1988, Irion completed a week long course in High Wall Mountain Repelling conducted in the Bavarian Alps.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Irion Books
In 2007, Irion founded Irion Books LLC and began writing and publishing books.
Famous Autographs
Irion also owned and operated Famous Autographs, since the early 1980's, a collector’s website of celebrity signed pictures, rare and collectible autographs. Irion was a member of the International Autograph Collectors Club and Dealer Alliance.
U.S. Park Investments
In 1983, Irion founded his own company U.S. Park Investments. Today, Irion’s business is a leading owner/management company of numerous manufactured home and RV communities in the United States.
For over 37 years Irion has specialized in the acquisition, sale, and marketing of manufactured home and RV communities. Irion has represented buyers and sellers throughout the United States with a primary focus and specialization on manufactured home and recreational vehicle communities in all the major Arizona markets. Irion has been involved in over 150 different manufactured home or RV community transactions.
Irion has been a Licensed Arizona Real Estate Broker Since 1979.
Marcus & Millichap Investment Real Estate Brokers
In 1979 Irion opened an office for the commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap in Phoenix, Arizona. During the first two years Irion was recognized among the top ten commercial brokers nationally.
JNJ McNeil Laboratories
In 1975 Irion joined JNJ McNeil Laboratories where he was honored as Rookie of the Region in pharmaceutical sales in his first year on the job. After several promotions including a year selling medical equipment and artificial kidneys, Irion decided to change fields and move back to Arizona to begin his career in commercial real estate sales.
EDUCATION
1973
University of California, Santa Barbara
Bachelor of Arts Biology
Bachelor of Arts Economics
Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honor Society
1975
Thunderbird/American Graduate School of International Management
Masters of International Marketing
Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Business
Masters of Business Administration (Marketing & Finance)
IN THE NEWS
My submission for Letter to the Editor was chosen by Editorials Editor, Phil Boas,
and printed on Wednesday, April 14, 2021