Previously, Secretary McDonald was the president and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble. He is also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army in the 82nd Airborne Division. He is the first VA secretary in recent history to visit DAV's headquarters. DAV National Headquarters Executive Director Barry Jesinoski has expressed excitement at the secretary’s willingness to work with the organization and ensure that the VA has taken every possible step to improve access to health care for American veterans.
In addition to visiting DAV headquarters, Secretary McDonald toured the Cincinnati VA Medical Center to see how policy changes have been realized on the ground and to gather feedback.