Cheryl L. Mason Confirmed as VA Inspector General: A New Chapter in Veteran Oversight
We are pleased to share the announcement of Cheryl L. Mason as the next Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Her confirmation marks both a milestone in her career and a moment of promise for strengthened accountability across VA programs and services.
A Distinguished Career of Service
Cheryl Mason was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 31, 2025 and officially sworn in on August 4, 2025 as the VA Inspector General. In her new role, she leads a national team of more than 1,000 investigators, auditors, inspectors, attorneys, data analysts, physicians, and other professionals dedicated to oversight, fraud detection, waste prevention, and ensuring the effective, efficient, and transparent functioning of VA programs.
Before this appointment, Mason had an extensive, multifaceted federal service record. She served at the VA, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and also practiced in private law. Among her most notable roles was her tenure as Chair of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, from 2017 to 2022, where she led approximately 1,200 personnel and helped deliver reforms in veterans’ appeals processes, reduce backlogs, and integrate modern technologies into decision-making.
Mason is also widely known as an author, speaker, and advocate, deeply connected to the military community. As a military spouse and the daughter and sister of veterans, she carries a deeply personal commitment to service and veteran issues.
What This Appointment Means — Opportunities & Challenges
Strengthening Oversight & Accountability
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is critical in maintaining trust in the VA, investigating cases of fraud, waste, abuse, and serious mismanagement. Under Mason’s leadership, her office is positioned to reemphasize transparency, internal checks, and policy integrity.
With a new IG in place after a period of vacancies and administrative turmoil, the VA community and veterans will be watching closely. Mason’s performance in this role will help define whether the IG remains a credible, independent check on VA operations.
Scrutiny over Independence & Partisanship
Mason’s appointment has not come without controversy. Critics—including some Senate Democrats—have questioned her capacity to separate past advisory roles from the impartial oversight required of an IG. During her Senate confirmation hearing, she pledged to act as an “impartial, independent aide,” loyal first to veterans and her duty as oversight leader.
Lawmaker concerns have centered on whether her prior positions within VA leadership might influence her ability to challenge departmental decisions, including those made by officials she once advised.
How she navigates those dynamics will be an early test of her leadership.
Championing Military Spouse & Veteran Causes
Mason’s deep roots in the military and veteran community give her a compelling voice for the populations the VA serves. Her background as a military spouse and her previous advocacy for military spouse employment reflect her skill at bridging the lived experience of military families with the structured world of federal operations.
Her appointment signals potential for greater sensitivity to the systemic challenges veterans and military families face—not just in benefits, but in mental health, access, and resource equity.
Looking Ahead: What To Watch
- Transparency in investigations: Will her office release timely, substantive findings on VA mismanagement or systemic failures?
- Independence in action: Will her oversight reach into the highest echelons of VA leadership—regardless of political alignment?
- Veteran outcomes: Will her leadership tangibly improve veterans’ trust, streamline claims adjudication, or uncover critical gaps in care?
- Relationship with Congress & stakeholders: Her oversight role depends on effective reporting to Congress and coordination with veteran service organizations, watchdogs, and independent bodies.
Cheryl L. Mason’s confirmation as VA Inspector General is a moment of both hope and high expectations. Her career blends legal expertise, public service, veteran advocacy, and personal ties to the military community—all converging at a pivotal point for veteran oversight.
For veterans, military spouses, and all who care about accountable governance, her tenure presents an opportunity for renewed trust and more rigorous checks in the system designed to serve those who served.
Learn more about Cheryl:
https://department.va.gov/staff-biographies/cheryl-l-mason/
https://news.va.gov/79027/baord-chairman-cheryl-l-mason-paving-career-paths-military-spouses/
https://psycharmor.org/podcast/cheri-mason
https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Relate-Leading-Fierce-Heart/dp/B0CYQ8X33L
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