Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs

The Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs (ODVA) is a department of the state of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs charged with providing medical and rehabilitative services for veterans and their families.

The Department is governed by a nine-member Oklahoma Veterans Commission, who members are appointed by the Governor, with the approval the Oklahoma Senate for three-year terms. The Governor appoints members from names submitted by the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Guard Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, as well as three at-large appointees. The Commission in turn appoints the Executive Director of the Department, who serves at the pleasure of the Commission and is responsible for administration of the Department.

The Department was created in 1981 during the term of Governor George Nigh as a successor to the Soldiers Relief Commission.

Mission and History
The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) dedicates itself to delivering comprehensive resources and services tailored to meet the needs of military veterans residing in the state of Oklahoma. Our commitment encompasses a wide spectrum of support, ranging from expert assistance with state and federal benefits, disability claims, burial and survivor benefits, healthcare, and education to vital services in employment, mental health/suicide prevention, entrepreneurship, veteran-owned businesses, women veteran services, and veterans in agriculture. Additionally, ODVA proudly oversees and manages seven long-term care facilities strategically located throughout Oklahoma, ensuring the provision of exceptional and compassionate care for our veterans.

The Oklahoma Legislature created the Soldiers Relief Commission in 1947. It was later replaced by the Department in 1981.

Leadership
The Department is administered by the Department's Executive Director. Oversight for the Department is provided by the nine member Oklahoma Veterans Commission.

Oklahoma Veterans Commission
The composition of the Oklahoma Veterans Commission shall comprise nine (9) members, all of whom must bear an honorable discharge status. It is mandated that among the members, one shall be a veteran of the Vietnam Conflict, and two shall be veterans of the Persian Gulf Wars.

The selection process for members shall adhere to the following protocol:

The state executive board or committees of the veterans' organizations specified in this section are each tasked with submitting to the Governor a roster of five individuals deemed qualified to assume roles as members of the Oklahoma Veterans Commission. These appointments are required to be broadly representative of the diverse spectrum of veterans in the state, taking into account factors such as age, gender, and race or ethnicity.

The Governor is tasked with appointing a member from each of the following distinguished organizations to serve on the Oklahoma Veterans Commission:

American Legion Veterans of Foreign Wars Disabled American Veterans Paralyzed Veterans of America Military Order of the Purple Heart National Guard Association of Oklahoma Additionally, the Governor shall exercise the authority to appoint three members at large, with the provision that one of them may be a non-veteran, contingent upon having a family member residing in one of the state’s seven Veterans Centers.

All members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall serve at the Governor's discretion. In the event of a vacancy on the Oklahoma Veterans Commission, the respective organization associated with the vacant position is required to submit a list of five qualified individuals to the Governor, who will then select a replacement from that list.

Furthermore, it is stipulated that no member of the Oklahoma Veterans Commission shall be concurrently employed by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs during their tenure, and individuals who have served on the Commission are precluded from employment with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs for a period of two (2) years following the conclusion of their service.

Moreover, the Oklahoma Veterans Commission oversees the veterans program in the state, managed by a Director appointed by and accountable to the Commission. The Director's office is situated within the central office at the Vezey Veterans Complex, located at 2132 NE 36th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. From this centralized hub, the Director exercises operational supervision over the Department's two principal divisions: The Oklahoma Veterans Homes and the Claims and Benefits Division.

Funding
The Department is funded primarily from three sources: yearly appropriations, patient fees, and federal funding. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides the Department a federal per diem payment per veteran in each Department Veterans Center. Each of the three funding sources makes up roughly one-third of the total budget of the Department.

Expenditures
The Department has an annual budget of $173,783,489 for FY23. The vast majority of that budget is dedicated to employee salaries and benefits.

Organization

 * Oklahoma Veterans Commission
 * Executive Director, Greg Slavonic
 * Deputy Director, Shawn Kirkland
 * Director of Homes, Rob Arrington
 * Director of Communications, Jennifer Bloomfield
 * Chief Financial Officer, Lisa White
 * Claims and Benefits Director, Randy Law
 * Lawton Team
 * Muskogee Team
 * Central Oklahoma Team
 * Northwest Oklahoma Team
 * Northeast Oklahoma Team
 * Southeast Oklahoma Team
 * Oklahoma State Veterans Home Team
 * Construction Programs Administrator, Nisha Young
 * Regional Veterans Home Administrators
 * Ardmore Veterans Home, Amy Sprouse
 * Claremore Veterans Home, Carole Kimbrough
 * Clinton Veterans Home, Stephanie Taylor
 * Lawton Veterans Home, Sarah Breshears
 * Norman Veterans Home, Mike Russell
 * Sulphur Veterans Home, Jeff Livingston
 * Talihina Veterans Home (Soon to be Sallisaw Veterans Home), Sarah Breshears
 * Human Resources Director, Jennifer Shockley
 * State Approving Agency Administrator, Dr. Brint Montgomery
 * Veterans Home Outreach, Jeannene Wade
 * Women Veterans Coordinator, Lisa Acevedo
 * Veteran Owned Businesses, Daron Hoggatt
 * Fleet Programs Administrator, Cherri Higgs
 * Mental Health & Suicide Prevention, Al Garza

Claims and Benefits
The Claims and Benefits Division provides many different services to the veterans and their dependents. The primary function is to assist veterans and their dependents with their claims before the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Claims worked through the Muskogee, Oklahoma Claims Office help claimants obtain compensation and pension benefits. Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Service Officers are nationally accredited through the Department of Veterans Affairs to represent the claimant with their claims and appeals. The Service Officers will assist in the appeals process, and if necessary, represent the claimant at a personal hearing before the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Hearing Officer. The Muskogee Claims Office handles lifetime hunting & fishing permits, state benefits requests, and the Financial Assistance Program.

Staffing
The Veterans Affairs Department, with an annual budget of over $130 million, is one of the largest employers of the State. For fiscal year 2010, the Department was authorized 1,998 full-time employees.