Doug Collins
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Douglas Allen Collins was born in August 1966 in Gainesville, Georgia. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of North Georgia and later received an M.Div. degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He then earned a Juris Doctor from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. He served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy.
Collins interned for a U.S. representative from Georgia before he went into sales. He became the senior pastor of a Baptist church and owned a retail store with his wife. He also practiced law and became a partner in a firm. Collins returned to the military after September 11, 2001, and still serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command as a chaplain.
He served in the Georgia House of Representatives and then was elected to the Georgia State Senate. In 2012, Collins was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served four terms. He made an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 2020.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Collins as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in in February 2025.
Collins is married to Lisa and they have three children. He is a Southern Baptist.
In the News…
After over a thousand federal employees were released from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Secretary Doug Collins said that, contrary to media reports of the cutting benefits, his department is expanding them. The VA secretary said that the Veterans Benefits Administration has already accelerated clearing cases.
In announcing the dismissal of the employees, who had been with the VA less than two years, the department stated that it was returning its focus to its core mission. “The personnel moves will save the department more than $98 million per year, and VA will redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.“
Secretary Collins said, “At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on Veteran care. … To be perfectly clear: these moves will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.”
Secretary Collins also said that DOGE is going to help improve efficiency, stating, “I’m happy to partner with them to find things we need to get rid of so we can put the money where it belongs… back with our Veterans.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Collins? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Doug Collins, Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
