The deputy commissioner in charge of the state's veterans homes has resigned from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.
An announcement to Minnesota VA employees on Thursday said Michael Gallucci will leave the office in March. Gallucci, who accepted the job two years ago, is one of several top employees to leave the department recently.
Gallucci was hired to oversee the state's five veterans homes and had become the subject of criticism over his management style. A Star Tribune story in December reported continuing problems at the Minneapolis veterans home and concerns of a former deputy commissioner who wrote to Gov. Mark Dayton about Gallucci's management style, which was described as intimidating and adversarial.
In the announcement, Commissioner Larry Shellito said Gallucci was leaving to spend more time with his family. Shellito praised Gallucci's work in laying the groundwork for telemedicine and medical record sharing and for establishing one of the nation's first veterans adult day centers at the Minneapolis home.
Gallucci, a retired command sergeant major in the Army, joins a list of top state VA officials to announce their departures recently, including the department's chief information officer, the director of women's veterans and employment, the director of financial services, the supervisor of the State Soldiers Assistance Program and the department's veterans preference officer.
"While we have lost some valued team members over the last year, my approach has always been to encourage staff to continue to build their careers. Sometimes that means going out into the larger state system or the private sector," Shellito said in a statement. "Overall, I am pleased with the stability and quality of our leadership team."
Mark Brunswick • 612-673-4434
