At our weekly Wednesday morning Rotary club meeting we were happy to welcome Dr. Steven Oluic as our distinguished guest speaker. Dr. Oluic is the Chair of the Geauga County Mental Health and Recovery Board and provided us with an overview of the state of mental health & recovery services from a board chairman's perspective.
Dr. Steven Oluić is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 27 years of service—including over a decade overseas in places like Bosnia, Iraq, Korea, Germany, and Mauritania—Dr. Oluić wrapped up his military career as Assistant Dean of Strategy and Policy at West Point, where he also taught as an Associate Professor of Geography. Highly decorated, his awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, seven Meritorious Service Medals, and more—testaments to leadership in combat engineering and beyond. A dedicated scholar, he holds a B.A. from Case Western Reserve, an M.S. from the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. from Kent State. He’s authored a book, numerous articles, and chapters, earning prestigious invitations to speak at the State Department, the FBI, Columbia University, and others. In 2016, he was selected as a Fulbright Scholar for exchanges in Russia. Blending battlefield experience, academic rigor, and global insight, Dr. Oluić offers a unique perspective on strategy, security, and international affairs.
At the very end of his presentation, Dr. Oluic mentioned he was running for county commissioner. Since that was a political endorsement, he was fined and needed to pay restitution by “Feeding our Rotary Pig” whose funds, in turn, will be used to provide Thanksgiving food baskets to several families in need right here in Geauga County.