United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs of the United States

Seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Flag of the deputy secretary

Incumbent
Paul Lawrence

since March 29, 2025

United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Style| Mr. Deputy Secretary
Reports to| Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Seat| Washington, D.C.
Appointer| The president
with Senate advice and consent
Term length| No fixed term
Formation| March 17, 1989
First holder| Anthony Joseph Principi
Salary| Executive Schedule, level II
Website| www.va.gov

The deputy secretary of veterans affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their dependents.[1] The deputy secretary is the second-highest-ranking officer in the department and succeeds the secretary in the event of his resignation, death, or otherwise inability to fulfill his duties.[2]

The deputy secretary is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.[3] The position was created with the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs in October 1988.[4]

## List of deputy secretaries of veterans affairs

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name  | Term of office  | President(s) served under

|
|
|
|

Start  | End
1  |  | Anthony Joseph Principi # | March 17, 1989[5] | September 26, 1992[5] | George H. W. Bush
2  |  | Hershel Wayne Gober # | February 4, 1993[6] | August 10, 2000[7] | Bill Clinton
–  |  | Edward A. "Ned" Powell, Jr. (acting)  | August 10, 2000[7] | January 20, 2001[8]
3  |  | Leo S. Mackay, Jr. | May 24, 2001[9] | September 30, 2003[10] | George W. Bush
4  |  | Gordon H. Mansfield # | January 22, 2004[11] | January 20, 2009
5  |  | W. Scott Gould | April 9, 2009[12] | May 17, 2013[1] | Barack Obama
6  |  | Sloan D. Gibson # | February 11, 2014[13] | January 20, 2017
–  |  | Gina Farrisee (acting)  | January 20, 2017  | February 25, 2017  | Donald Trump
–  |  | Scott Blackburn (acting)  | February 26, 2017  | August 9, 2017
7  |  | Thomas G. Bowman | August 10, 2017  | June 15, 2018
8  |  | James Byrne | August 28, 2018  | September 16, 2019
September 16, 2019  | February 3, 2020
–  |  | Pamela J. Powers (acting)  | April 2, 2020[14] | January 20, 2021
–  |  | Carolyn Clancy (acting)  | January 20, 2021  | July 19, 2021  | Joe Biden
9  |  | Donald Remy | July 19, 2021  | April 1, 2023
–  |  | Guy Kiyokawa (acting)  | April 1, 2023  | September 19, 2023
10  |  | Tanya J. Bradsher | September 20, 2023  | January 20, 2025
11  |  | Paul Lawrence | March 29, 2025  | Incumbent | Donald Trump

## References

[edit]

^ Acted as Secretary during their tenure. See the list of secretaries for dates.

1. ^ a b Al Kamen (May 15, 2013). "VA deputy secretary Scott Gould departs Friday". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
2. ^ "Memorandum for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs". Retrieved September 24, 2007.
3. ^ 38 U.S.C. § 304: Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Accessed September 24, 2007.
4. ^ "Search Results – THOMAS (Library of Congress)". Retrieved September 24, 2007.[permanent dead link]
5. ^ a b White House. "Anthony Principi Secretary of Veterans Affairs 2001–2005". Retrieved September 24, 2005. "Mr. Principi served as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA's second-highest executive position, from March 17, 1989, to September 26, 1992, when he was named Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President George Bush."
6. ^ US Department of Veterans Affairs. The Honorable Hershel W. Gober Archived January 29, 2004, at the Wayback Machine. July 2000. Accessed January 15, 2008. "He had served as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs since being sworn in by President Clinton on February 4, 1993."
7. ^ a b US Department of Veterans Affairs. Ned Powell Named Acting VA Deputy Secretary. August 9, 2000. Accessed January 15, 2008. "President Clinton has appointed Edward A. (Ned) Powell, Jr., as the Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)."
8. ^ Cahoon. Ben. Department of Veterans Affairs. WorldStatesmen.org. Accessed January 15, 2008.
9. ^ US Department of Veterans Affairs. Leo S. Mackay, Jr., PhD at the Wayback Machine (archive index). January 2002. Accessed January 16, 2008. "Leo S. Mackay Jr., PhD, was nominated to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs on April 30, 2001, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 24."
10. ^ US Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Leo Mackay Steps Down as VA Deputy Secretary November 15, 2003. Accessed January 16, 2008. "Dr. Leo S. Mackay Jr. announced his resignation today as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), effective September 30."
11. ^ US Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Official Biography The Honorable Gordon H. Mansfield. November 2006. Accessed January 16, 2008. "Mr. Mansfield was nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary by President George W. Bush on November 3, 2003, and confirmed by the Senate on January 22, 2004."
12. ^ "Gould Sworn in as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs" (Press release). Department of Veterans Affairs. April 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009. "W. Scott Gould, a retired naval reservist and senior executive with experience in the Federal government and the private sector, has taken the oath of office as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)."
13. ^ "Sloan D. Gibson". Department of Veterans Affairs. February 11, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
14. ^ "Pamela J. Powers - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs". www.va.gov. Retrieved May 5, 2020.

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United States Department of Veterans Affairs

* Headquarters: 810 Vermont Avenue NW
(Veterans Affairs Department Building)

* Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
* Paul Lawrence, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

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