VA announces key leadership changes

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced several key leadership changes on Aug. 13 that will soon take effect. Most notably, Peter O’Rourke will become a senior advisor at VA to Secretary Robert Wilkie. O’Rourke most recently served as acting secretary of Veterans Affairs and also previously served as VA chief of staff.

Other leadership changes include:

• Pamela Powers to become VA chief of staff. Powers is a retired Air Force colonel who previously served with Secretary Wilkie as the chief of staff for the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

• Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd to become acting assistant secretary for Human Resources and Administration. She previously served as VA deputy chief of staff and most recently as acting chief of staff.

• Chris Syrek to become VA deputy chief of staff. Syrek was previously executive director of State and Local Government Relations and most recently served as acting deputy chief of staff.

“President Dwight Eisenhower had this to say about leadership, ‘You have got to have something in which to believe. You have got to have leaders, organization, friendships, and contacts that help you to believe that, and help you to put out your best,’” said Wilkie of the changes. “Our veterans deserve the best, and that is what we are doing by bringing together a talented leadership team to serve them at VA.”