The Next Secretary of Veterans Affairs Must Be Prepared

The V.A.'s Motto and Mission Statement, at the Headquarter's Entrance

Having worked as a speechwriter for four VA Secretaries between 2001 and 2013, and with 12 years on Capitol Hill on the staffs of House and Senate VA committees, I viewed this Quora request (from Carter Moore , thanks) as a welcome challenge. If I were drawing up wish list of 10 desired attributes for a VA Secretary, I’d start with:

1. Must have been a flag-rank, or senior O-6 (Colonel/USN Captain) officer who has completed several tours in asymmetrical-combat theaters and has demonstrated his or her ability to lead diverse, and very large, numbers of troops. A VA Secretary must be able to relate to veterans at the most personal level, including shared grief and long-term effects of wartime service.

2. Service academy graduates (West Point, Annapolis, USAF Academy) are not necessarily best-suited for VA leadership, but it is hard to deny the optic’s cachet and public respect these schools confer on the men and women who graduate from them. Many VA Secretaries have been service academy graduates, but not being an academy graduate should not be a deal-breaker.

3. Must have a thorough knowledge of the operations (personnel and fiscal) of a large, consumer-oriented national (or global) organization employing at least 50-100,000 people. Being a CEO of such a company is not required, but having hands-on decision making responsibilities at the senior level of such a company is a must. That company may or may not be a health care system, but it must be consumer-focused, with robust, timely, outreach and a positive-rating consumer accountability profile.

4. Must have a practical knowledge of, and a close working experience with, one or both chambers of Congress and their veteran-relevant committees. This could include no less than, but not necessarily more than four-years of Hill experience on a related committee as a senior staff member, or, if possible, as a Member of Congress. The bottom line here is that I want a VA Secretary who understands the legislative process and will not have to depend solely on his or her Office of Legislative Affairs to teach them the basics.

5. Should have at least one close relative who is currently, or who has recently served in the military in a combat theater (could be any service branch, not necessarily ground troops). Being the son or daughter of a veteran would be a bonus point. I want a VA Secretary who is reminded every day that his loved one has a stake in the future of VA.

6. Must be inquisitive and well-traveled at least across the U.S. I’m looking for someone who asks great questions, who understands regional differences, who has visited small towns and large cities, who may have actually visited a veterans’ cemetery that is not Arlington National. I want someone who, having asked probing questions, is completely comfortable with receiving uncomfortable answers from subordinates, and giving credit for those answers, and not being dismissive of countervailing points of view.

7. Should have a solid, and demonstrable grasp of U.S. and U.S. military history, and should be able to articulate his or her depth of knowledge and understanding of importance of such history as it relates to modern day warfare and military service. This could be satisfied with a Master’s degree in history coupled with significant publication of historical analysis re military matters.

8. Should be totally at-ease with social media, both as a public relations tool for advancing VA’s mission, and as a powerful executive outreach medium for connecting VA leadership with staff in the field and the veterans they serve.

9. Must excel at delegating authority while being fully accountable for the possible negative outcomes of such delegation. Must not be a micro-manager who credits himself or herself for positive outcomes while laying blame at the feet of his subordinates when things go bad.

10. Must be thoughtful, genuinely humorous, and skillfully articulate. Any cabinet secretary has an obligation to succinctly describe and support his or her department’s mission from any podium or speaking venue. In good times and in bad, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must be able to explain the enormity of VA’s scope, mission, and challenges. He or she has to know their numbers, and has to embrace the hardships so many veterans face.

11. (bonus attribute) I want a VA Secretary who will surround himself or herself with an executive team that knows more about many things than he or she does and who are willing to share that knowledge with the Secretary. The worst thing that can happen to any cabinet officer is to build a weak and dumbed-down staff that cannot challenge the boss in times of crisis or policy development.