Douglas A. Collins
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Office of the Secretary
450,000 reports
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Leadership and Component Structure of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Government · Divisional structure · 450K employees · Washington, DC
9
Agency head span
near peer avg (10)
5
Avg span
wide
3
Max depth
flat for 450K emp
Interactive org chart
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs organizational chart
Explore the agency leadership model, component structure, and reporting layers from official public sources.
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This org chart summarizes the leadership and major components of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs based on official VA sources as of 2026-Q2, highlighting its three core administrations and key staff offices.
What to model
Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines
Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.
Scenario views in the chart
- Add Department-wide Chief Data and AI Officer Model adding a Chief Data and AI Officer reporting to the Deputy Secretary to coordinate analytics, AI, and data governance across VA.
- Move EHR Modernization under Deputy Secretary Evaluate moving the Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office to report directly to the Deputy Secretary for tighter enterprise oversight.
Atlas work this supports
- Compare public operating models Use this official-source baseline to compare agencies, components, reporting layers, and field-office networks.
- Model vacancies and transitions Create planning scenarios for acting leaders, new offices, component moves, and cross-agency coordination changes.
- Keep an official source trail Track source URLs, leadership updates, and agency structure changes in one Atlas workspace for review.
The people
Key leaders and offices
12 senior leadership roles or offices from official public sources. Use this section as a current agency-leadership index, not a private-company filing table.
Paul R. Lawrence
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Performing CIO Duties)
Office of the Secretary
1 reports
Curt Cashour
Chief of Staff
Office of the Secretary
0 reports
John J. Bartrum
Under Secretary for Health
Veterans Health Administration
1 reports
Margarita Devlin
Under Secretary for Benefits (Acting)
Veterans Benefits Administration
0 reports
Samuel Brown
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
National Cemetery Administration
0 reports
Cheryl L. Mason
Inspector General
Office of Inspector General
0 reports
James Baehr
General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
0 reports
Richard Topping
Assistant Secretary for Management
Office of Management
1 reports
Kenneth A. Arnold
Chairman (Acting)
Board of Veterans Appeals
0 reports
Mark R. Engelbaum
Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration
Office of Human Resources and Administration
0 reports
Reginald G. A. Neal
Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security, and Preparedness
Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness
0 reports
The operating model
How U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs divides the work
3 offices, branches, or components organize the agency mission. Tile size scales with estimated staff where public estimates exist.
Veterans Health Administration
300K employees
vha
Operates VA medical centers, clinics, and health programs serving enrolled veterans nationwide.
Veterans Benefits Administration
60K employees
vba
Administers disability compensation, pensions, education, home loans, and insurance benefits.
National Cemetery Administration
4K employees
nca
Provides burial and memorial benefits and maintains national veterans cemeteries.
The agency brief
What this U.S. agency structure tells us
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a cabinet-level executive department responsible for delivering health care, benefits, and memorial services to U.S. veterans. Structurally, VA is distinctive for its divisional model built around three massive administrations—Veterans Health, Veterans Benefits, and National Cemetery—each operating nationwide with substantial autonomy. This scale and mission orientation make VA one of the largest integrated service delivery organizations in the world. The Secretary holds statutory authority, while operational complexity is managed through assistant secretaries and staff offices that provide policy, oversight, legal, technology, and security functions in support of veteran-facing missions.
- Three large administrations operate nationwide
- Largest integrated health care system in the U.S.
- Cabinet-level department with service-delivery mission
The comparison
Compare with related agencies
Compared with the Department of Defense or the Department of Health and Human Services, VA is unique in combining direct health care delivery, benefits adjudication, and memorial affairs within a single civilian agency. Unlike DHS or DOJ, VA’s mission is not enforcement-focused but service-oriented, with a much larger …
Senior office count
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
12
Reporting depth
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
3 levels
4 levels
Current signals
What changed recently
No recent leadership changes documented in the official source as of the current quarter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
The Department of Veterans Affairs is led by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, currently Douglas A. Collins.
What does the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs do?
VA provides health care, benefits, and memorial services to eligible military veterans and their families.
What are the major offices or components of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
The major components are the Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and National Cemetery Administration, supported by multiple staff offices.
Who does the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report to?
As a cabinet-level department, VA reports to the President of the United States.
How can this org chart be used for planning or analysis?
The org chart helps policymakers and planners understand reporting relationships, component responsibilities, and potential impacts of reorganizations or vacancies.
Sources
Reference
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APA 7th
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"U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Organizational Structure." Creately, April 1, 2026, https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/department-of-veterans-affairs/. Accessed .Chicago 17
Creately. "U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/department-of-veterans-affairs/.Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/department-of-veterans-affairs/ · last updated 2026-04-01