The Veterans Service Board has selected a new Commissioner of Veterans Service.

In a meeting held Monday, the board chose Mike Roby to lead the Department of Veterans Service. Chairman Phil Youngblood stated that Mr. Roby’s term as commissioner will officially commence July 1, and the board will coordinate with Governor Nathan Deal’s office to make arrangements for a swearing-in ceremony.

Informed of the selection, Governor Deal stated, “The late Commissioner Pete Wheeler tirelessly served his country in and out of uniform for decades, and left behind a legacy that few could uphold. Today, I’m proud to say that the department’s Veterans Service Board has indeed selected one of those few, Mike Roby, as its new commissioner. As an Army veteran, and having served as interim commissioner since late April of this year and as an assistant commissioner of the department since 2012, he has the experience, dedication and drive to fully serve Georgia’s veterans. Congratulations to him and his family.”

“It’s an honor to be selected,” Mr. Roby said. “I am humbled, and I want to thank the board for their confidence in me. I also want to thank Assistant Commissioner Dan Holtz, who is a great man and would have been a great commissioner, too. I am humbled to accept this selection and follow in the footsteps of Commissioner Wheeler. I want to continue to move this department forward and build upon his legacy of service. As an Army veteran myself, and coming from a military family with 107 years of combined service, veterans have been and always will be close to my heart. As commissioner I will do my best to see that all Georgia veterans and their families continue to be treated with the utmost respect and the highest level of service by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.”

As outlined in the state constitution, the seven-member Veterans Service Board selects the Commissioner of Veterans Service to serve as the executive officer of the Department of Veterans Service. The commissioner is charged with the administrative responsibilities of the department in conformity with the orders, rules, and regulations of the board.

Together the board and the commissioner – who, by law, must be war veterans themselves – work to fulfill the mission of the Department of Veterans Service to serve Georgia’s 752,000-plus veterans and their families in all matters pertaining to veterans benefits.

Mr. Roby will succeed the late Commissioner Wheeler, who passed away in April after holding the office since 1954.

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For more information on the content of this news release, please contact the GDVS Public Information Division at 404-656-5933 or [email protected].