Leadership
Michael Sarich
Director
VA FOIA
Prior to joining the VA FOIA Office, Mike was charged with leading VHA’s FOIA program with over 300 FOIA Officers, processing 15,000 plus requests across 151 facilities and 12 time zones. During his tenure, the program won multiple awards from the Department of Justice for tech advances and for reducing the VHA FOIA backlog by over 90% in just 14 months. In addition to previously leading the VHA FOIA program, Mike’s served in the Office of General Counsel at the Social Security Administration where he handled FOIA litigation issues, significant FOIA cases, and led a major rewrite of SSA FOIA Regulations in accordance with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 and at the Bureau of Land Management where he helped establish a central FOIA office.
Mike’s a licensed attorney and a class of 2011 Presidential Management Fellow, he’s worked in the Irish Parliament, was elected to three terms on his hometown’s City Council and continues to be active in his community. Mike is also a United States Army veteran who served in Korea, Germany, Texas, and Maryland. He lives in Laurel, Maryland and is raising two boys alongside his amazing wife, Angela.
