From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY– Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Greg Slavonic announced Wednesday he is stepping down as executive director of the state Veterans Affairs Department.
Slavonic assumed the role of interim director in March 2023 and originally planned to stay only six months, but was persuaded to stay a few months longer.
“I take immense pride in the collective achievements of the ODVA team during my 14-month stewardship as executive director,” Slavonic said in a press release. “Despite unforeseen challenges, we have worked tirelessly to cultivate a robust leadership cadre capable of perpetuating our mission.”
Now it’s time to focus on his and his wife’s health and watching his grandchildren grow, he said.
“I can’t express enough my gratitude for Greg’s service to our agency over the last year and his willingness to selflessly jump into action during such a tumultuous time,” Rob Allen, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Commission, said in a press release. During his tenure the agency was “stabilized” and “set on a solid footing for the future.”
Allen said the department will begin looking for a new director immediately.
Slavonic retired from the U.S Navy/Navy Reserve after a 34-year career, during which he held four command assignments and served in combat deployments to Vietnam, Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He previously served as the 18th Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, as well as Undersecretary of the Navy, serving as the deputy and principal assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, and as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Management Officer for the Department of the Navy.
Prior to joining the department, he served as chief of staff for Oklahoma U.S. Senator James Lankford and was Lankford’s last chief when he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Prior to Slavonic’s service on the Hill, he was a senior leader at the Computer Sciences Corporation, where he planned and executed several nationwide U.S. Navy community outreach engagements.
For the past 40 years he has held various civilian senior level positions in the communications industry and held positions with broadcasting and print organizations.
Slavonic co-authored a book on American Olympian and native Oklahoman Jim Thorpe. Slavonic also served as executive director of the Jim Thorpe Association and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Slavonic earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University and M.Ed. from the University of Central Oklahoma, where he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award.