New VA chief of staff sworn in

The newest chief of staff for The Department of Veterans Affairs was sworn in Wednesday to her role as the top advisor to the VA secretary and deputy secretary.

Margaret “Meg” Kabat was tapped for the job guiding leadership of the cabinet department with a multi-billion dollar budget and hundreds of thousands of employees , after having served in multiple VA advisory positions, an announcement from the department said.

“Meg is a tireless advocate for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors — and we’re thrilled that she’s going to be helping lead VA in this critical role,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in the statement. “As our next chief of staff, she will undoubtedly continue to positively impact our organization and ensure we deliver on the most sacred mission there is: serving America’s Veterans,” he added.

Kabat succeeds Kimberly Jackson as chief of staff, who announced last month she would step down from the role that she filled after her predecessor, Tanya Bradsher , left to become the VA’s deputy secretary.

Originally from Massachusetts, Kabat had worked as VA’s principal senior advisor since January 2022, and before that as senior advisor for families, caregivers and survivors, according to her department bio.

Previously, Kabat was also a senior director at the consulting firm Atlas Research and a social worker and case manager at National Naval Medical Center, her bio noted. Beginning in 2011, she served in leadership roles in the VA Caregiver Support Program, it added.

VA’s caregiver program losing top official at a critical moment

“Serving Veterans, their caregivers, and their loved ones has been the greatest privilege in my career, and I am honored to continue driving our mission forward as VA’s next chief of staff,” Kabat said in the release.

“As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and the granddaughter of a World War I and a World War II Veteran, I carry our mission close to my heart,” she added.