| Veterans
News Flash 
Gordon
H. Mansfield To Become Acting Secretary of Veterans
Affairs
September 28, 2007
WASHINGTON - - Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Gordon H. Mansfield will become the Acting Secretary
of Veterans Affairs following the resignation of
Secretary Jim Nicholson. Secretary Nicholson tendered
his resignation to President Bush on July 17, 2007,
to be effective no later than October 1, 2007.
 Mansfield
(seen left) assumes the role on October 1 under
the terms of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act,
where a Deputy Secretary begins to serve as the
acting officer immediately and automatically upon
the occurrence of the vacancy. Mansfield will serve
as Acting Secretary until the next nominee of the
President is confirmed by the United States Senate.
Appointed by President
Bush in November 2003, Deputy Secretary Mansfield
served as the chief operating officer for the
federal government’s
second largest department, responsible for a nationwide
system of health care services, benefits programs
and national cemeteries for America’s Veterans
and their dependents.
He previously served
as VA Assistant Secretary for Congressional and
Legislative Affairs since August 1, 2001, serving
as the legislative advisor to the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs. He was responsible for VA’s
Congressional relations and representing VA programs,
policies, investigations and legislative agenda
to Congress.
Prior to joining VA,
Mr. Mansfield served as executive director of
the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) since
April 1993. In that position, the highly decorated
Vietnam veteran oversaw daily operation of PVA’s national office in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Mansfield held a number of positions at PVA
from 1981 to 1989, and served as the organization’s
first associate executive director of Government
Relations.
Mr. Mansfield served
as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal
Opportunity at the Department of Housing and
Urban Development from 1989 to 1993 under President
George H. W. Bush’s Administration.
Prior to 1981, he practiced law in Ocala, Fla.
Mr. Mansfield received
his undergraduate degree from Villanova University
and law degree from the University of Miami.
Following his 1964 enlistment in the Army, Mr.
Mansfield served two tours of duty in Vietnam.
While serving as company commander with the 101st
Airborne Division during his second tour, he
was wounded during the Tet Offensive of 1968
sustaining a spinal cord injury. For his actions
while his unit was under fire, he was decorated
with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second
highest personal decoration for valor in combat.
He was medically retired by the U.S. Army at the
grade of Captain. His other combat decorations
include the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the
Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Presidential
Unit Citation.
Mr. Mansfield is a recipient of the Presidential
Distinguished Service Award and the Villanova University
Alumni Human Relations Medal. He was inducted into
the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of
Fame in 1997.
SOURCE:
US Department of Veterans Affair
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