Glenn Johnson was appointed to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA) on January 5, 2020. In this position, he serves as second in command and the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs and to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries on all congressional and legislative affairs matters affecting the Department of Veterans Affairs. He assists in overseeing and coordinating the Department’s activities with Members of Congress and committees of jurisdiction, maintaining responsive and effective communications with Congress. Mr. Johnson is also responsible for the daily operation of the office, including personnel and budget formulation and execution.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Johnson served as the Director, Health Legislative Affairs Service and Acting Director, Benefits Legislative Affairs Service for OCLA. In these roles, he served as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary on all health and benefits congressional and legislative matters affecting the Department, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and ultimately Veterans. Prior to being assigned to VA OCLA, he served for two years as the Deputy Director for VHA Congressional and Legislative Affairs.
Before joining VA, Mr. Johnson served in the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery Officer and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after faithfully serving for over 20 years. While in uniform, he served or operated in Army units located in the United States, Germany, Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Mr. Johnson also had the opportunity to work at the RAND Corporation in Washington, DC, as an Army Fellow. Additionally, he was board selected as a Defense Congressional Fellow and worked in the office of a U.S. Senator on Capitol Hill.
