Debi’s Diamond 💎 Roving Retirement #21
(Special THANKS for those who were part of my VA Journey & Success)
April 14, 2026
VA Career Gratitude Acknowledgments:

Robert “Bob” McDonald: 8th U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2014-2017)/Former Chairman, President and CEO of Procter and Gamble/West Point Graduate-Army Veteran.

I recently had the distinct honor of personally thanking Bob McDonald for the leadership and guidance he provided during his tenure as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Bob’s mission was to transform the VA into a customer-service-driven organization rooted in transparency. He famously signaled this shift by sharing his personal cell phone number nationally—a move designed to build trust, invite direct feedback, and humanize the department’s leadership.

That single decision changed the course of my career. At the time, I was a ‘one-woman show’ managing roughly 60 inquiries a week; suddenly, that volume surged to over 1,000. While Bob personally took many of those calls, I was the ‘boots on the ground’ responsible for the service recovery and immediate resolution of healthcare and claims issues. To manage this influx, I built the Office of Client Relations—a team of experts dedicated to assisting Veterans who reached out to the Secretary. Bob was incredibly hands-on; we worked side-by-side on many high-stakes cases, including crisis calls, to ensure Veterans were safe and supported. Because of his vision, we’ve been able to save lives and provide a lifeline to countless Veterans and their families.

Together, we built a legacy of advocacy that has saved lives and fundamentally improved how we serve our nation’s heroes.

Secretary Bob McDonald’s time at the VA was defined by MyVA, the largest department-wide reorganization in its history, which aimed to modernize the department’s culture and processes. Beyond his focus on customer service and accessibility, he spearheaded several critical reforms which you can view in the attached link. https://lnkd.in/e8Sz2Jte.

Current Roles: He remains active as Chairman of the Board of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the West Point Association of Graduates.

All content and images courtesy of Debi Bevins