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Mark Tobiassen was known as a 鈥渄edicated鈥� business coach who instilled principles to guide small businesses through tough times.

Bert Parnall, Tobiassen鈥檚 friend and client, said Tobiassen 鈥渢aught us to lead with ownership and accountability.鈥�

鈥淗e shaped not just how we do business, but who we are as people,鈥� Parnall said. 鈥淗e will be deeply missed.鈥�

Tobiassen, who co-owned the state franchise of ActionCoach, an organization dedicated to helping business owners define goals and develop plans to achieve success, died on May 25 after a monthslong illness tied to the West Nile virus. He was 65. 

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that sickens about 2,000 people across the country every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobiassen was infected with the virus in September, around the time it typically peaks. 

According to a July 2022 Journal article, Tobiassen assisted business owners with issues ranging from cash flow problems to the 鈥渘itty-gritty鈥� of running or expanding a business. More importantly, he said, was the mentoring and human connection he provided to help business owners overcome their fears and move forward with their confidence.

鈥淚t鈥檚 helping individuals, usually business owners or executives or management teams, first as human beings, with their personal growth,鈥� Tobiassen said at the time. 鈥淐ompanies grow or don鈥檛 grow, mostly based on the growth or lack thereof of their owners.鈥� 

One of ActionCoach鈥檚 clients was TLC Pet Hospital, a veterinary clinic in Northeast sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

TLC Hospital Manager Carrie Quirk said in an interview that ActionCoach gave the facility 鈥渢he tools to recognize certain things that were going on in our practice, whether it was positive or negative.鈥�

鈥淲e went over our strengths, our weaknesses. We made up goals, our core values,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e helped rearrange our practice. We went from doing OK with about a six-member staff to a very successful practice of over 33 employees.鈥�

Mark Tobiassen was born on Nov. 6, 1960, in Corvallis, Oregon. He received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business administration from Oregon State University in 1982. A year later, Tobiassen moved to New Mexico to manage Enterprise Rent-a-Car for the company鈥檚 New Mexico/El Paso region. After retiring from the company, he started ActionCoach in 2008 with his wife, Sen. Nicole Tobiasson, R-sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

鈥淲e believed in the opportunity and knew that we could make a huge impact,鈥� she said.

Mark Tobiassen wrote a column in the Oct. 14, 2014, Journal that listed six things business owners can do to succeed during tough economic times. One of those was having a 鈥渃an-do attitude.鈥�

鈥淏efore you can have positive results, you have to start with a positive attitude,鈥� he said.

To carry the torch, Nicole Tobiassen said she plans to continue with coaching.

鈥淚 have a much stronger purpose in helping them,鈥� she said.

Aside from coaching, Mark Tobiassen spent his time volunteering with organizations like the Rotary Club of sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Economic Forum of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Hispano Chamber of Commerce.

Emily Howard, Economic Forum鈥檚 executive director, called Mark Tobiassen a 鈥渒ind man who was extremely dedicated鈥� to his work with helping local business owners and leaders. 

鈥淗e did tremendous work to help local leaders and companies grow and improve their impact on our community. He will be missed,鈥� Howard said.

New Mexicans from across the aisle issued their condolences to the senator and her family, including New Mexico Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who said he was 鈥渉eartbroken鈥� by Mark Tobiassen鈥檚 death.

To honor her husband, Nicole Tobiassen backed a $150,000 during this year鈥檚 legislative session toward eradicating mosquitoes. She was also able to allocate $1.8 million in , which will go to the New Mexico Department of Health to issue grants to counties for mosquito prevention.

People in the state are dying every year from the West Nile virus, 鈥渁nd so, one thing that has turned into a positive from his illness, and now his death, is that now, hopefully less people will get ill or die from mosquito-borne diseases,鈥� she said.

Aside from work and volunteering, Mark Tobiassen was an active fisherman and hiker who loved his goldendoodle named Stella.

Mark Tobiassen is survived by his wife, Nicole Tobiassen, his two children, Jared Tobiassen, 33, and Hannah Tobiassen, 29, and two stepchildren, Luke Scarpa, 24, and Owen Scarpa, 22.

A celebration of life will take place from 2-3 p.m. on June 29, followed by a reception from 3-5 p.m. at the Calvary Church, 4001 Osuna NE.

Gregory R.C. Hasman covers the economy and healthcare. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.