Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie’s chief of staff will serve as the department’s second-ranking official after President Donald Trump tapped her for the work earlier this month.

The move to make Pamela Powers the acting VA deputy secretary comes almost two months after the abrupt firing of James Byrne after he had been in the role for 18 months.

Wilkie at the time said the firing was “a simple business decision” and a clash of personal styles, but individuals close to Byrne characterized it as part of a series of erratic leadership moves made by Wilkie amid leadership turmoil at the department.

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VA officials said Powers’ move to the acting deputy secretary post happened on April 2, but the news was only made public via an announcement on Tuesday.

“Pam has quarterbacked VA’s historic transformation for the better part of the last two years,” Wilkie said in a statement. “Her deep experience and decisive leadership style will yield tremendous benefits for veterans and the department during this important time.”

Powers is a retired Air Force colonel who worked with Wilkie at the Pentagon’s personnel and readiness office before he was tapped to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

She is the second woman to hold the second-highest post within VA, both in an acting capacity.

Whether she will be nominated for the permanent appointment remains unclear. That would require confirmation by the Senate, which is currently working on a remote, abbreviated schedule because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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In addition, Trump has frequently left key leadership posts at different federal agencies open or filled with acting officials. Byrne served as acting deputy secretary for 8 months before Trump formally nominated him for the assignment, and his confirmation took almost five months more.

Powers’ appointment leaves acting officials in two of the department’s top five leadership posts. Richard Stone currently serves as Executive in Charge of the Veterans Health Administration, since the under secretary post there has been vacant since the start of Trump’s presidency.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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