The Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals is a senior position within the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

that is responsible for the operation and policies of the

Board of Veterans' Appeals The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) is an administrative tribunal within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), located in Washington, D.C. Established by Executive Order on July 28, 1933, it determines whether U.S. military vet ...

, which is the administrative tribunal within the department responsible for holding hearings and issuing decisions on behalf of the

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

regarding veterans' claims for benefits and services. The Chairman ranks equivalent to a department Assistant Secretary and is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a six-year term, must be appointed as a Veterans Law Judge, and must be a licensed attorney in good standing in a state or territory. The current Chairman is

Jaime Areizaga-Soto Jaime A. Areizaga-Soto is an American attorney and politician who has served as the chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs since September 2022. In 2011, he was the Democratic nominee for ...

of Virginia, who was nominated by President Joe Biden on April 25, 2022 and confirmed by the Senate on August 4, 2022. He replaced Cheryl L. Mason of Virginia, the first woman and military spouse to serve in this post and scheduled to serve until 2023, but only served through August 4, 2022 due to the confirmation of a new chairman prior to the end of her term. General Areizaga-Soto's term will expire in 2028.

History

Beginning in 2011 and continuing up until the appointment of Chairman Mason in 2017 as the 10th Chairman and 4th politically appointed Chairman, the Board was led by several leaders appointed as the Board's Vice Chairman, which is appointed by the Secretary of VA. Although

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

nominated former Chief Veterans Law Judge Constance B. Tobias to replace the retired James P. Terry. in the second session (2012) of the

112th Congress The 112th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and ended on January 3, 2013, 17 ...

, as well as both the 1st (2013) and 2nd (2014) sessions of the

113th Congress The 113th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015, during the fifth and sixth years of Barack Obama's presidency. It was composed of the ...

, the Senate never acted on her nomination beyond a

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans problems and issues. Description The committee was created in 1970 to transfer responsibilities for veterans from the Finance and Labor commit ...

confirmation hearing in November 2013, and her nominations were returned to the President at the end of each session.

References

{{Reflist United States Department of Veterans Affairs