Former VA secretary to head national hunger relief organization

Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough has been named CEO of Feeding America, a non-profit network of more than 250 food banks, regional cooperatives, agencies and food bank associations.

McDonough will take the helm of the organization April 14, according to a Feb. 25 announcement by its board of directors.

Since leaving the VA in January 2025, McDonough has maintained a low profile, declining media interview requests and serving as a scholar-in-residence at his alma mater, Saint John’s University, in Collegeville, Minnesota. He is currently teaching a course on health care finance and policy at the school.

Last year, Feeding America served 48 million people — providing 6 billion meals through its food banks and community partners. In a statement, McDonough called the organization an “extraordinary network” and said he looks forward to continuing to serve the American public.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen what’s possible when people come together with purpose and compassion, and when organizations combine those values with clear goals, hard work and unwavering accountability to the communities they serve,” McDonough said.

McDonough’s appointment will follow the retirement of Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, who has served as the CEO to Feeding America since 2018. Shawn O’Grady, the organization’s chairman of the board, called Babineaux-Fontenot an “extraordinary leader” who had vision and compassion, and said McDonough will continue to work to bring charitable, corporate and public sector groups together to fight hunger.

“[McDonough] has spent his life serving this country at the highest levels of government, always guided by integrity, deep faith and a profound respect for all people. We are grateful to welcome a leader whose heart for service, high standards, and focus on results match the urgency of this moment,” O’Grady said in a statement.

McDonough served as VA secretary from 2021 to 2025, where he was responsible for the second largest federal department, which expanded to more than 450,000 employees during his tenure and serves 9.6 million veterans.

During his time as VA secretary, McDonough encouraged veterans to use their VA benefits and pledged to build a department that could accommodate their needs.

Under his watch, the VA implemented the PACT Act, landmark legislation that expanded health care and benefits for veterans exposed to environmental hazards, and its budget grew from roughly $217 billion in fiscal 2020 to more than $360 billion.

The department rolled out a new electronic health record system in late 2020 under the first Trump administration but McDonough paused the program following a number of setbacks that included incidents of patient harm.

The VA also expanded women’s health care to include access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. In addition, under McDonough, an equity team was created to study the impact of race on disability claims decisions.

The current administration has undone two key initiatives of the Biden-era VA, to include access to abortion and elimination of diversity programs. It is also seeking to restart and accelerate the electronic health records system this year, with an estimated completion year of 2031, as well as expand access to community care through programs that will allow veterans to make it easier to get appointments with non-VA doctors.

McDonough served as White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. Previous academic experience includes working on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs.

In addressing his new role, McDonough called it a “profound honor.”

“I’m eager to listen, to learn from this extraordinary network, and to work with those neighbors and partners across the country as we drive toward a future where every family has the nutritious food they deserve to thrive.”