During the day he is mild mannered, Mr. Ficken, Superintendent of Schools, Pettis County R-12 School District in  Missouri, but start the music and let the rodeo begin and he becomes Mark Ficken Rodeo Announcer Extraordinaire. Mark has one of the voices you can just listen to all day and never get tired of hearing it. But what really makes him a great announcer is his knowledge of the sport. Mark started out as a bareback rider in 1990. While he was busy getting his Bachelors of Science Degree from Missouri Valley College in 1993, he was also getting Missouri Valley College involved in intercollegiate rodeo by starting their first rodeo team. Mark was their bareback rider and finished the year third in the Ozark Region. The next four years Mark taught full time while continuing his education at Central Missouri State University where he received his Master of Science Degree in 1997. Even with his exhausting schedule Mark continued to participate in the sport he loves so much. From 1990 to 1995 Mark qualified four times for the Missouri Rodeo Finals in the Bareback Division.

1995 was a banner year for Mark. Two big events changed his life forever. I believe he would want to say the biggest event for him was his marriage to wife Angie. For rodeo fans that enjoy listening to Mark announce we are all thankful to Chris Cannon of Swinging C Rodeo Company for giving Mark his first job as announcer at Harrisonville, Missouri. Later that same year the M. K. Y. R. A. selected him as announcer for their finals. This was the first of many finals Mark has been selected to announce including: 1997 N. F. P. B; 1998 A. C. R. A.; 1997 and 1998 U. R. A. co-announcer; 1998 and 1999 M. R. C. A.; 1999 B. O. A.; and 1999, 2000 I.R.A. Finals.

In 1998 Mark went from teacher to principal. Always expanding his horizons Mark is currently seeking his Educational Specialist Degree at Central Missouri State University.

Mark has been selected to serve as a board member and educational advisor on  "Make a Cowboy Promise" anti-drug campaign founded by country entertainer DeWayne Spaw and supported by rodeo organizations, businesses and fans. Based on the belief that America’s youth need good role models to look up to, this program selects qualified rodeo performers, queens and champions to pass on the message to not use drugs. These spokespeople will do this during performances and especially during autograph sessions where they get to meet with young fans on a one on one basis.. Mark was selected for this position for his educational background, his deep concern for today's youth and his knowledge of the sport of rodeo and those involved in it. He will play an active role in the selection of spokespeople.

Rodeo audiences and country music fans all over America are getting to hear Mark’s latest achievement, the country song, The Ghost of Rodeo. Mark wrote the lyrics and DeWayne Spaw set them to music. You can find this song on DeWayne’s newest CD release Storm Before the Calm (available on www.rodeoattitude.com).

Mark has memberships in the following rodeo associations:

This season Mark is being sponsored by Wrangler.  Mark is a founding member of the Rodeo Attitude Program and we appreciate all the hard work he has done over the years.

Family plays an important role in Mark’s life. Angie and Mark are the proud parents of seven year old Makenzie and four year old Kole. Mark enjoys a good game of golf and loves to hunt whenever he gets a chance. Knowing Mark the last couple of years has been very rewarding to us and we are constantly amazed at his accomplishments. Mark is as the song goes "a busy man".