Secretary of Veterans Affairs - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Skip to content Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now Official websites use .gov .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS lock ) or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans Affairs (smw) 2025-10-09T13:08:31-04:00 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs oversees the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in its mission to provide health, education, disability, funerary, and financial benefits earned by eterans of the United States Armed Forces. It is a Cabinet position appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. The Department of Veterans Affairs was established in 1988 by the Department of Veterans Affairs Act and consists of three primary subordinate organizations — the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). Chronological Listing of Secretaries Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Name Dates Ed Derwinski March 15, 1989 – September 26, 1992 Jesse Brown January 22, 1993 – July 3, 1997 Togo D. West Jr. January 2, 1998 – July 25, 2000 Anthony Principi January 23, 2001 – January 26, 2005 Jim Nicholson January 26, 2005 – October 1, 2007 James Peake December 20, 2007 – January 20, 2009 Eric Shinseki January 20, 2009 – May 30, 2014 Robert A. McDonald July 30, 2014 – January 20, 2017 David Shulkin February 14, 2017 – March 28, 2018 Robert Wilkie July 30, 2018 – January 20, 2021 Denis McDonough February 8, 2021 – 2025 Douglas A. Collins February 5, 2025 – Present Douglas A. Collins Secretary of Veterans Affairs News Releases News Releases – VA News Joint Commission accredits 176 VA programs in 2025 VA announces major improvements in benefits processing and delivery VA health record system back on track with Michigan deployments VA announces $7M in rural Veteran transportation services grants VA announces $16M in disabled Veterans’ adaptive sports grants Speeches Speeches – VA News Student Veterans of America 17th National Conference Legal Services Corporation Virtual Program Honor in Justice – Supporting America’s Veterans Native American Heritage Month Celebration Veterans Day Commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery National Press Club Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims 16th Judicial Conference Statements Press Statements – VA News Statement from VA Secretary Doug Collins regarding Memorial Day VA statement regarding President Trump’s executive order Secretary Collins’ message to Veterans and VA employees VA statement regarding grants, loans and other financial assistance programs VA Secretary press conference July 23, 2024 We’re here anytime, day or night - 24/7 If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified responders for confidential help. Many of them are Veterans themselves. Call 988 and press Text to 838255 Chat confidentially now Call TTY if you have hearing loss 1-800-799-4889 Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine.net OPR : Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA) Date last updated October 9, 2025 Close Sliding Bar Area Page load link Go to Top