Mr. Mark “MRE” Engelbaum was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness on February 13, 2025.
In this role, Mr. Engelbaum leads development and oversight of human capital strategies, policies and practices while managing the Department’s preparedness, law enforcement, and security capabilities across the nation. Mr. Engelbaum leads a vast portfolio that includes Administration, Human Capital, Labor-Management Relations, Personnel Security and Suitability, Senior Executive Management, Employee Development, Manpower Management, Emergency Management Response and Recovery, and Security and Law Enforcement Policy.
Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Engelbaum served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Force Management where he provided guidance and oversight in the formulation of strategic plans and policies in the human resource arena for the Air and Space Force military and civilian personnel and their dependents. Mr. Engelbaum also served as the Director of Civilian Force Management, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force (HAF), as well as various plans and programming positions to include programming, strategy, transformation, doctrine, nuclear policy, strategic plans, arms control and counterproliferation. Mr. Engelbaum is a U.S. Army Veteran.
