Greg Milonovich & Family
FBI Special Agent, Greg Milonovich ‘89
In 1987, Greg Milonovich came to FM as part of the Early Admissions Program largely in part to the good experience his sister had with the program, not to mention the rising costs of tuition. As an Engineering Science major, it turned out to be a terrific choice for Greg and was a solid transition from high school to college. He grew close to the other early admit students as well as his professors.
“To this day, both Dr. Jane Slezak, my chemistry professor, and Mr. John Jablonski, my engineering professor, continue to have an impact on me,” Greg tells us. “Both took a personal interest in their students and pushed us outside of the normal course work. We spent the longest days and expended the most energy in their labs, but also gained the most from these experiences. They made you want to stay longer and take on the challenge of experiments beyond what was required. I thank them for this and their dedication to their students and the school.”
Greg went on to Syracuse University to earn a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and continued to earn a Masters in Business Administration. Today, Greg is a Special Agent with the FBI.
“I have been with the FBI since 1997,” Greg says. “I’ve completed assignments in the FBI’s Washington Field Office; a special assignment to Capitol Hill, Operational Technology Division; and the Albany, New York Field Office.”
Greg feels he is at the halfway point of his FBI career. “I definitely have some time to reach higher levels within the Bureau and work a variety of other exciting programs,” he says. “I’d like to step into the private sector or the academic world after I retire although government work has been very rewarding and there’s no shortage of interesting government paths to follow. I encourage all students to consider government careers especially with the variety of jobs and student loan repayment programs available.”
In August of last year, Greg was promoted to FBI Headquarters’ National Security Bureau to a detailee position at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Washington, DC. He and his family packed their belongings and moved from Albany back to DC. “Washington, DC is a dynamic and exciting place to be,” says Greg. “It is the seat of our nation’s leaders, headquarters for many Fortune 500 companies and many outstanding academic institutions. I’ve been very fortunate to have a very caring and supportive family.”
As far as Greg’s future, a second Masters degree is not beyond the realm of possibility, perhaps even a Doctorate. “I often see the inside of a classroom through continuous training and education in my career,” he tells us.
Looking back at his days at FM, Greg has some advice for today’s students, “I don’t recommend skipping class to play tennis on the back courts as much as we did… the professors can actually see you playing out there,” he jokes. On a more serious note he continues, “FM should be your first major building block towards a successful career. Take full advantage of this opportunity, put in the extra time, and get to know the professors for they can help you down the road. Good luck to all future graduates.”
PHOTO: Greg with his wife Katy and three children, Thomas, Megan, and Ryan after completing the Camillus 5K Run outside of Syracuse on Memorial Day. The race was dedicated to Katy’s Uncle Joe (Father Joe, a Catholic priest in Syracuse for 50 years) who ran the race the past 15 years, but passed away from cancer in January. Greg and his family will be running it every year in his memory.
