Paul Lawrence

7th Under Secretary for Veterans Benefits and Army Veteran, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D., was the 7th Under Secretary for Benefits, nominated by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2018. Leading the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), he oversaw a workforce of over 24,000 employees dedicated to delivering essential benefits programs for veterans. This includes disability compensation, pension and fiduciary services, education assistance, home loan guaranty, employment readiness, life insurance, and transition assistance. With responsibility for executing over $118B in direct benefits through regional offices, processing centers, and VBA headquarters, he played a vital role in supporting veterans and their dependents. In 2023, to make the benefits experience easier for Veterans, he wrote “Veterans Benefits for You,” an easy to read, how-to guide.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Lawrence held leadership positions at renowned organizations such as Kaiser Associates, Ernst & Young, Accenture, the MITRE Corporation, IBM Business Consulting Services, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He brings over 30 years of experience as a senior management consultant, specializing in working closely with federal leaders. Dr. Lawrence is a prolific author, co-authoring books on management and government, and has served on advisory boards at esteemed institutions such as the University of Massachusetts and The College of William and Mary. He also served in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of Captain, and holds advanced degrees in Economics from Virginia Tech.