Senate Confirms New VA Secretaries for Benefits and Memorial Affairs

Yesterday, the Senate confirmed BG Allison Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits and Mr. Steve Muro, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.

Brigadier General Allison A. Hickey, USAF (Ret.), Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs
Brigadier General Allison A. Hickey, USAF (Ret.) currently serves as an executive in Accenture’s Human Capital Management practice leading Defense and Intelligence Agencies programs. In 2007, General Hickey retired from the Air Force after 27 years of service.  Prior to her retirement, General Hickey served as the Air Force Director for Future Total Force (Total Force Integration), Assistant Director of Air Force Strategic Planning and Chief of Air Force Future Concepts and Transformation. Prior to these positions, General Hickey also served as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau Strategic Initiatives Group and the Chief of Operations for the Air National Guard Productivity and Quality Center.  She currently serves on the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Technology Insight-Gauge, Evaluate and Review; as a Trustee for the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation, an organization committed to providing scholarships to those seeking admission to the Academy through preparatory schools; and on the Board of Advisors for Academy Women, an organization that provides mentorship to military women. General Hickey holds a M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College and a B.S. in Behavioral Science from the United States Air Force Academy. 

Steve Muro, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
Steve Muro serves as Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to this role, he served as Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs from 2008 to 2009, and Director of the National Cemetery Administration Office of Field Programs from 2003-2008. Mr. Muro also served as the Director of the Memorial Service Network V from 2001 to 2002. Mr. Muro served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972, including two tours of duty in Vietnam. In 2008 he received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award. Mr. Muro received an Associate’s Degree from Mt. San Antonio Junior College.