Oklahoma Veterans Commission appoints new executive director • Oklahoma Voice

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has a new executive director.

Retired Rear Admiral James Bynum was introduced Monday as the agency’s new executive director. He will begin his term on August 1.

Brett Martin, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Commission, said Bynum is a qualified candidate.

“He’s dealt with Capitol Hill in DC, … working on our legislation in our Capitol should be a breeze,” Martin said. “The idea that he can lead and be responsible for multi-billion dollar assets makes me believe he can manage seven houses and 1,500 employees at ODVA.”

Bynum has held leadership positions as President of Bynum & Bynum Consultants, LLC, a leading consultant to mid-sized defense engineering and manufacturing companies, and Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

His legislative experience includes serving as a military parliamentary assistant to the late U.S. Senator John McCain and a position in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, DC

Bynum is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s ROTC program, where he also earned a bachelor’s degree in information systems management.

His training also includes Harvard Kennedy School, the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, and the Naval Post Graduate School.

Bynum was also a Capitol Hill Fellow at Georgetown University.

He was deployed as part of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Bynum was also deployed as part of the U.S. Air Force’s 94th Fighter Wing and commanded VFA-27 as part of the forces stationed in Japan.

Bynum will succeed former Executive Director Greg Slavonic, who served 15 months under Governor Kevin Stitt. REMOVED the previous director.