The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) is an agency entrusted with one of the most sacred missions of any governmental agency. The DVA serves our nations through the three administrations: the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Cemetery Administration, and the Veterans Health Administration. Over the past decade, the DVA has found it necessary to transform in order to meet the needs of the Veterans we serve. The department faces significant challenges due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an aging Vietnam Veteran population afflicted with presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange exposure, as well as the loss of significant numbers of World War II Veterans due to age. In 2010, the DVA begin a transformation process however, the department continues to face significant challenges which will persist into the immediate future. In order to meet these challenges, the DVA will need strong executives capable of meeting the challenges, which lay ahead. However, data demonstrates that the department could face significant turnover within the department's Senior Executive Service (SES) ranks that could significantly affect agency operations. This research project focuses on determining what leadership development opportunities the DVA should provide to individuals in order to prepare them for the SES, thus ensuring effective succession planning within the department. The study considers succession planning from a holistic approach, and asserts that the process should begin once an individual assumes a leadership role within the department.

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