Gregory J. Slavonic

Military career Slavonic enlisted in the United States Navy in 1971. After finishing boot camp and Signalman "A" school, he was sent to the aircraft carrier USS Constellation,

Returning home Official portrait of Rear Admiral Gregory J. Slavonic serving as the Navy's vice chief of information, circa 2005. Upon his return from sea duties, Slavonic was discharged from active service and entered the United States Navy Reserve in Oklahoma City where he earned a commission as an Ensign. He achieved the rank of Commander in the Navy Reserve and was recalled to active service in November 1990 for the Gulf War. Slavonic was then assigned to the staff of U.S. Central Command under General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and assumed duty with the Navy public affairs section, Joint Information Bureau in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He also led a media pool aboard the 18,000-ton amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli in the Persian Gulf, where the ship struck an Iraqi underwater mine the following day. He was released from active duty on July 1, 1991, and returned to the Navy Reserve. He was also the public affairs officer for Rear Admirals Pete Pettigrew and Bob Smith III, Commanders at the Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command, Region 11 at Naval Air Station Dallas.

Promoted to Rear Admiral (Lower Half) on June 1, 2001, Slavonic served as the 6th Navy Vice Chief of Information, overseeing all aspects of the Navy's Public Affairs Program. He worked closely with the Navy's Chief of Information, establishing and maintaining liaison with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Navy Secretariat, and other Department of Defense commands, particularly within the Pentagon and Washington, D.C. He also led two Joint U.S. Military Assistance Teams to Manila, advising the Armed Forces of the Philippines on strategic communications operations.

While in Iraq, he coordinated the largest media event for the newly formed MNF-I on July 1, 2004—the first court appearance of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein since his capture on December 13, 2003. This event, which was broadcast worldwide, also included the arraignment of 11 members of Saddam's cabinet, several of whom were on Iraq's "most wanted" list, including "Chemical Ali" and Tariq Aziz.

Retirement and post-Navy career Slavonic retired from the Navy and Navy Reserve in June 2005 after 34 years of service, which included active duty in three wars. Following his retirement, he was contacted by Computer Sciences Corporation to assist in drafting a Request for Proposal for a new community outreach contract. The agency manages seven veterans’ homes across the state, provides services to over 350,000 Oklahoma veterans, and oversees a team of 1,500 employees. With an annual budget of $160 million, Slavonic led efforts to support Oklahoma's veteran community. He resigned from this position in July 2024.

Political appointee On December 5, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Slavonic to serve as the 18th Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASN M&RA), a Senate-confirmed position responsible for overseeing manpower and reserve component affairs for both the Navy and Marine Corps. This role included the development of programs and policies related to military personnel (active, reserve, and retired), recruiting, family members, and the civilian workforce. Additionally, he was tasked with tracking the contractor workforce and overseeing human resources within the United States Department of the Navy. During his tenure as ASN (M&RA), both the Navy and Marine Corps successfully met their recruiting goals.

Slavonic departed this position on January 20, 2021, with the change in administration.

Private sector From 1976 to 2008, Slavonic held several leadership positions in the newspaper and television industries before joining Computer Sciences Corporation. He served as President of FlagBridge Strategic Communications for more than six years. Additionally, he was invited to be a minority owner and investor in the Oklahoma City Cavalry professional basketball team, the first pro basketball team in Oklahoma City.

From 2007 to 2009, Slavonic served as executive director of the Jim Thorpe Association

Slavonic is the President & CEO of Blue-Water Strategies, LLC.

In addition to his consulting work, Slavonic has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. He has also served as a Senior Advisor at American Global Strategies, a Washington, D.C.–based consulting firm.