Ronald E. Walters was named the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs (PDUSMA) in January 2015. He also served as the Acting/Interim Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs for various periods from June 2014 to July 2025. He came to NCA as the Deputy Under Secretary for Finance and Planning/Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and served in that role from July 2006 to January 2015. As the PDUSMA, Mr. Walters oversees a broad range of management and operational activities across NCA in support of the Under Secretary.
He provides oversight of VA’s 157 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemeteries in the delivery of dignified burial services for military Veterans and eligible family members. His operational oversight responsibilities include: maintaining the cemeteries as national shrines; land acquisition, construction and other activities relating to the establishment of new national cemeteries; overseeing memorial programs to honor the service of deceased Veterans, including the Veterans Legacy Program and the provision of headstones and markers worldwide; and administering federal grants to assist states, territories and tribal governments establish Veterans cemeteries.
In his previous position as the Deputy Under Secretary for Finance and Planning/CFO, Mr. Walters was responsible for the formulation and execution of NCA’s budget, performance measurement and improvement, financial activities, and legislative and regulatory activities within NCA. He began his career with the VA in 1985 as a budget analyst in the Controller’s office and held various other management positions during his tenure.
Mr. Walters received a Ph.D. in Political Science from The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and a Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University. He was a Rhodes Scholar finalist in Virginia. In 2019, he was named one of the “HillVets 100” individuals recognized for their work on behalf of Veterans. He received Presidential Rank Awards in 2017 (Distinguished) and 2010 (Meritorious). He was awarded the Secretary of VA’s Meritorious Service Award in 2017 and Exceptional Service Award in 2019. He was a finalist for the 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal in the Management Excellence category. He was also one of seven federal employees profiled in a series published by The Washington Post in 2024 and later in the book Who Is Government?
Mr. Walters taught courses in American Government at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, JHU and Montgomery College. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Maryland (Baltimore County).