Gary Tallman serves as Acting Assistant Secretary, providing strategic communications advice and counsel to VA senior leadership and organizations, and executive-level oversight and direction to OPIA’s team to help to build and maintain public confidence in VA by developing, routinely updating and communicating the Department’s key messages to many audiences through media relations, public affairs, intergovernmental affairs, outreach to reach Veterans and their families, and other stakeholders.
He ensures OPIA provides enterprise policy and functional coordination of internal employee and external stakeholder communications to ensure consistent messaging and that VA has a unified voice to all stakeholders.
As the Principal Deputy and senior Federal career leader for OPIA he supports all appointed leadership and provides strategic direction, coordination, and alignment of resources for OPIA’s nationwide team to include 10 field offices throughout the Continental United States. He serves as executive in charge and accountable official for strategic communications planning for major departmental policy initiatives for National Veterans Outreach, Internal Communications, and the Secretary’s speech writing team. He provides executive level strategic communication advice and counsel to the Assistant Secretary, OPIA and other VA senior leaders as required.
Mr. Tallman represents OPIA on VA executive committees to include the interagency VA/DOD Joint Executive Committee. He leads OPIA’s participation in VA’s Federal disaster response program in support of Emergency Support Function 15 for national level response to disasters or designated national security events.
Prior to joining VA in 2011, he served a 21-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring in 2009. His service included deployments to Operation Just Cause, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star awards.
He is a graduate of Siena College in Loudonville, NY, and holds master’s degrees in journalism from The Ohio State University, and in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
