Dr. Oedekoven promoted to Brigadier General

On January 3, 2006 Col. Olin O. Oedekoven became Brigadier General Oedekoven. At the same ceremony he was sworn in as Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of the Wyoming Army National Guard. But Gen. Oedekoven is still known as Doctor Oedkoven at Northcentral University, in Prescott Ariz., where he is an alumnus and faculty member. The citizen-soldier makes his home in Gillette, Wyo.

The swearing-in ceremony was held in Cheyenne, Wyo., the state capital, and among those present were Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal and Adjutant General, Major General Ed Wright. Prior to this promotion, Oedekoven held the rank of colonel and commanded the 115th Field Artillery Brigade.

Oedekoven has served in the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard for over 25 years. He has recently retired from a career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, where he was a wildlife biologist, and co-founded the Peregrine Leadership Institute (www.peregrineleadership.com). The institute conducts leadership development workshops, training business managers in employee development, and provides consulting services to business clients in the U.S. and Canada.

Asked by the Billings Gazette about his new duties as commander of the Wyoming Guard, Oedekoven displayed a characteristic blend of humility and confidence. “I assume command without any hesitation,” he responded, “but certainly with just a little bit of anxiety.”

The general’s new command does come with considerable responsibility. Guard members are seeing frequent deployments to theaters of war, as well as service in natural disasters around the country. And just after Christmas, some Gillette, Wyo. Guard members left for training prior to an unspecified pending deployment. Oedekoven is well prepared: The title of his Ph.D. dissertation was “Domestic Considerations in Force-shaping the Wyoming National Guard.”

And Fortunately for his new command, leadership, whether learned or innate, is one of Oedekoven’s gifts. Cliff Knesel, a long-time associate and a partner in the Peregrine Institute, spoke very highly of his abilities: "I'm familiar with good leadership, I'm familiar with poor leadership, and I'm familiar with great leadership," Knesel said. "We're talking greatness here."

“Life-long learning is one of my passions,” Oedekoven says. And his academic record certainly bears this out. He earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration at Northcentral University, where he was awarded a doctorate in 2003. He also has an M.B.A. in Business Administration from NCU, a Master of Science in Zoology & Physiology from the University of Wyoming, and Bachelor of Science in Wildlife & Fisheries Science/Biology from South Dakota State University. The freshly minted general is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and of the U.S. Army War College.

“My association with NCU allows me to continue my involvement with learners and faculty committed to higher education,” Oedekoven says. “ My enthusiasm for learner success stems in part from my own experiences in on-line education.” This enthusiasm makes him a fine ambassador for the university—and an outstanding teacher.

“I enjoy the opportunities and challenges that distance education offers and the regular interaction with learners from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Mutually beneficial learning is my goal with Northcentral.”

Professor Oedekoven has been a Faculty Mentor at Northcentral University since April, 2004, teaching courses mostly at the graduate level in the areas of his primary interests. These courses include Management, Public Administration, Computer Information Systems and Human Resources, as well the Comprehensive Exam and the Dissertation courses.

In addition to his teaching duties, within NCU’s School of Business and Technology Management, Oedekoven is “Lead Faculty” in the Management specialization. This means he participates in the development of course curricula and syllabi, as well as serving on dissertation committees. His contribution to NCU, and to its students, is difficult to overstate.

Remarkably enough, Oedekoven still manages to find a little spare time. “My wife Laurel and I enjoy a variety of outdoor recreational interests,” he says, including, “ hunting, operating our family cattle ranch, travel, and many other outdoor adventures.” Which is good to hear; even a general/professor/businessman deserves a day off now and then.