The Honorable Matthew T. Quinn was nominated by President Biden, and confirmed by the Senate on June 17, 2021, to serve as the 7th Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs. He leads 155 VA national cemeteries and 122 VA grant-funded state and tribal Veteran cemeteries in providing a dignified burial in national shrines for Veterans and eligible family members.
His responsibilities include maintaining the cemeteries as national shrines; design and construction activities related to the establishment of new national cemeteries; overseeing memorial programs to honor the service of Veterans, including the provision of headstones, markers, medallions and Presidential Memorial Certificates; and administering federal grants to help states, territories and tribal governments establish Veterans cemeteries.
Additional responsibilities include NCA’s evolving programs to modernize memorialization of Veterans through its Veterans Legacy Memorial and Veterans Legacy Program initiatives. These programs utilize modern technology and collaboration with educational professionals and students to tell the stories of the nearly 4 million Veterans interred in VA cemeteries.
He is a retired Major General having served nearly 37 years in the Army and Army National Guard, culminating in his selection as the 27th Adjutant General for the State of Montana. As commander of the Montana National Guard and Director of the Department of Military Affairs, he was responsible for state disaster and emergency management, homeland security, and Veterans affairs. Between June 2019 and January 2021, he was president of the Adjutants General Association of the United States.
Prior to selection as Adjutant General, he was president of ELM Locating and Utility Services, while serving in the Montana National Guard as a traditional (drill status) Guardsman.
Quinn served as commander of A Company, 34th Signal Battalion in Operation Desert Storm, 1991 and commander of the 495th Transportation Battalion in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003-2004. He is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star (with one bronze oak leaf cluster), and the Meritorious Service Medal (with three bronze oak leaf clusters).
Quinn earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Montana, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.
