Mr. Michael (Mike) Odle serves as the Director of the Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs Collaboration Office (DVCO). As such, he is the central point of contact within the Office of the Secretary of Defense for the White House, Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal agencies, and stakeholders regarding Service member and Veteran programs. He regularly provides strategic communication, planning, and operational oversight in support of DoD/VA enhanced collaboration, coordination and established interagency goals.
Appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in November 2015, Mr. Odle was the Veterans Health Administration’s senior communications official responsible for executing the national policy, planning, management and evaluation of communications programs for the largest integrated health care system in the country, serving nearly nine million Veterans annually at over 1,200 health care sites.
He has over 20 years of accomplished public, legislative, intergovernmental affairs experience with the government and military. He has held leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mr. Odle is an Air Force Veteran and currently serves as the Commander, 4th Combat Camera Squadron (COMCAM), U.S. Air Force Reserve, Joint Base Charleston, S.C. During his military career, he served as the Deputy Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Southern Command, Doral, Fla., Assistant Director, Military Compensation Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), Pentagon; Senior Press Officer for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan; spearheaded the Multinational Public Affairs Office in Bangladesh during a United Nations peacekeeping support operation; and served as a Public Affairs Officer in Louisiana during critical phases of rescue and relief efforts during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Mr. Odle received his bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism with an emphasis in marketing from Black Hills State University, S.D. and a bachelor’s degree in international business from the University of the Potomac, Washington, D.C. He earned a master’s in international management form Western Sydney University, Australia and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in public policy from the University of the Potomac, Washington, D.C. Mr. Odle is a recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oakleaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army, Air and Space commendation medals and the State of California Commendation Medal for crisis communications.