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 on February 13, 2025.
In this role, Mr. Engelbaum leads the development and oversight of human capital strategies, policies, and practices. Mr. Engelbaum manages a portfolio that includes Administration, Human Capital, Labor-Management Relations, Senior Executive Management, Employee Development, and Manpower Management.
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 including programming, strategy, transformation, doctrine, nuclear policy, strategic plans, arms control and counterproliferation. Mr. Engelbaum is a U.S. Army Veteran.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY:
2025 – Present Assistant Secretary, Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC
2020 – 2024 Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Force Management Integration, Arlington, VA
2017 – 2020 Director, Civilian Force Management, HAF, Arlington, VA
2015 – 2017 Deputy Director, Military Force Management, HAF, Arlington, VA
2013 – 2015 Deputy Director, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Langley, VA
EDUCATION:
2021 Vanguard Senior Executive Leadership Program, Potomac, MD
2018 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Arlie Center, Warrenton, Virginia
2017 APEX: Senior Executive Joint Orientation Program, Washington, DC
2016 Leading for Results, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
2015 Air Force Senior Leader Orientation Course, Joint Base Andrews, MD
1999 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
1994 Master of Arts, National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
1993 Defense Foreign Language Institute, Monterey, CA
1993 Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, KS
1985 Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY