VA Replaces Directors for Women and Minority Veteran Centers
April 04, 2025
VA removes directors Lourdes Tiglao and James Albino from the Center for Women Veterans and the Center for Minority Veterans. They will be replaced by Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd and Mariela Roca respectively.
Center for Women Veterans
Established in 1994, the Center for Women Veterans is an advocacy groups working to increase access to VA benefits/services, and improve opportunities for women veterans. They support these women though a combination of outreach programs, education, and collaboration with community stakeholders.
The previous director, Lourdes Tiglao, had prior experience in military, federal, and nonprofit organizations for education, business, communication, and healthcare. Her medical expertise has served her on multiple missions, including her last mission of launching a critical care medical evacuation service.
Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd started serving as Director for the Center for Women Veterans on March 3, 2025. Hayes-Byrd had served as the Executive Director of the Center previously and as a veteran of the U.S. Air Force she understands veteran women and their needs. She has a background in management, operations, administration, and human resources and has been in leadership positions such as first female governor of the state of New Jersey and in roles for the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Center for Minority Veterans
The Center for Minority Veterans takes on a similar mission of assisting minority veterans with outreach activities, promotion of VA services, and providing a “Veterans First” mentality while advocating on the veteran’s behalf. The center was established to ensure that all veterans, regardless of race, class, or any other social factors, are able to get the service they need after they have spent time serving us and our country.
James Albino was the Director of the Center for Minority Veterans until 2025. As a navy veteran and the son of a WWII veteran, Albino takes veteran care extremely seriously. He himself has two VA-implanted artificial lenses for his eyes and as of 2021 he planned to replace his knees using VA’s artificial implants. As he was interviewed about the Department, Albino stated, “When you go into the VAMCs you see some very brave, some very proud Veterans who put their lives on the line and who deserve – earned – the services that they get”.
Dr. Mariela Roca now fills the position of Director of the Center for Minority Veterans and like Hayes-Byrd, she is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. She worked as a medical logistician and held a steady leadership role at Fort Detrick. As a Program Manager at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, she oversaw funding for the Medical Other Procurement, Army. She has also worked as the Deputy Chief of the Production Assembly Management Division where her strategic planning led to medical material readiness.
Why the Change
A VA spokesperson has come forward to announce the reasoning behind the removal. They stated that is it typical for these posts to be changed after a change in administration and even Biden appointed new directors when he was in office. It was said that this removal has nothing to do with President Trump’s efforts to remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
However, many are upset about this change taking place so soon after President Trump took office. The dismissals occurred nine days after President Trump took office with temporary directors taking change until Dr. Roca and Ms. Hayes-Byrd were assigned on March 3rd.
Ranking Member Mark Takano spoke against the termination, writing a letter that claimed, “I am deeply concerned that VA has not communicated any details related to these firings to me or my staff,” and “it’s an attack on congressionally mandated programs that help ensure all veterans can access their earned benefits”. Along with Takano, Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Julia Brownley wrote as well. The Congresswoman stated her concerns that the VA could stray from its mission to provide high quality care to all veterans and, “The unjustified firings of Lourdes Tiglao and James Albino send a clear, yet very detrimental message: this administration is not prioritizing the needs of all veterans, especially those who often face additional barriers to care, benefits, and resources”.
Conclusion
Regardless of the cause for replacement, we know that everyone involved wants the best care for our veterans, and the Directors of both Centers for Women Veterans and Minority Veterans will do their best to ensure proper care is given to those who have served. If you have served and are looking to file a new VA disability claim with Veterans Affairs, call Legal Help For Veterans at (800) 693-4800.