click above for details

VA Watchdog Stuff...
cups, hats, shirts...
click on item to order
and support the site.






Be sure to get all four
VA Watchdog dot Org
RSS feeds --
Daily VA
News Flashes
House CVA
Veterans' News
Senate CVA
Veterans' News
VA Press
Releases
 

Download your
free copy of the
2008 VA benefits
handbook here...
 

Printer-Friendly Version

SHAKEUP BEGINS AT VA, CHANGES POSTED TO EXECUTIVE

BIO ROSTER -- Mansfield out as Dep. Sec. as Kussman

moves up to #2. Dunne stays as head of benefits.

Story below: 

Your comments accepted at bottom of page.

Share story/email link.
-------------------------

by Larry Scott

It looks like the Shinseki shakeup at the VA has begun.

As of this writing (1500hrs EST Tue 27 Jan 2009) the VA has made no official statements.

But, there's been lots of activity on their executive bio web page.

The page had been down for a number of days... then, this morning, changes started to appear.

As of now... here's what the page says... page here... Note many new names on the list.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/bios/index.asp

Biographies of VA Officials (Listing)

• The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• John R. Gingrich - Chief of Staff
• The Honorable Michael J. Kussman, M.D. - Under Secretary for Health
• Gerald Cross - Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health
• William F. Feeley - Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management
• The Honorable Patrick W. Dunne - Under Secretary for Benefits
• Steve Muro - Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
• Phil Riggin - Acting Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Rita Reed - Acting Assistant Secretary for Management
• Stephen W. Warren - Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
• Willie Hensley - Acting Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration
• Kevin Hanretta - Acting Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security & Preparedness
• Karen W. Pane - Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning
• Danny Devine - Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs
• The Honorable James P. Terry - Chairman, Board of Veterans’ Appeals
• John H. Thompson - Acting General Counsel
• The Honorable George J. Opfer - Inspector General
• Glenn D. Haggstrom - Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction

You will notice that Gordon Mansfield is gone as deputy secretary.  So, who is #2 at the VA? 

Earlier in the day, the page listed Kussman as acting deputy secretary, but that was taken down and now there's no listing.  Let's hope Kussman is not #2.

It's bad enough that Kussman is staying as head of health and Dunne is staying as head of benefits, apparently.

President Obama, when he was a Senator, openly criticized Michael Kussman and questioned whether he should direct the VA's health arm.  That story here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/
nf07/nfMAY07/nf051407-10.htm

And, Obama has been highly critical of the VA's serious backlog of claims and appeals.  So, why is Dunne still on the roster?

I'm sure we will hear more on this from Shinseki, but, right now, I'm getting a very bad feeling about upper-level management at the "new" VA... Meet the new boss... Same as the old boss?

-------------------------
posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
-------------------------

-------------------------
Please post your comments below on Google Friend Connect.  You must sign in.  For larger view and work area, click blue "expand" button in upper right corner of comment box.

-------------------------

Don't forget to read all of today's VA News Flashes (click here)
Click here to make VA Watchdog dot Org your homepage
(go back to VA Watchdog dot Org Home Page)

       
Military Medical Malpractice 
Legal Network               

VA Watchdog Stuff...
cups, hats, shirts...
click on item to order
and support the site.