Anthony Principi
4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
In office January 23, 2001 – January 26, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Togo West
Succeeded by	Jim Nicholson
In office September 26, 1992 – January 20, 1993 Acting
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Ed Derwinski
Succeeded by	Jesse Brown
1st United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
In office March 17, 1989 – September 26, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Hershel Gober
Personal details
Born	Anthony Joseph Principi (1944-04-16) April 16, 1944 (age 79) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	United States Naval Academy (BS) Seton Hall University (JD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1967–1980
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

Anthony Joseph Principi (born April 16, 1944) is the former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001, and resigned on January 26, 2005. He Chaired the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, BRAC and is currently serving as a Consultant & Board member of several diverse Foundations & Corporations.

Early life

Principi was born in the East Bronx^[1] on April 16, 1944. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and attended St. Anastasia School there during his younger years.^[2] He graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1962 as the school's top athlete and student council president.^[1] In 1967, Principi graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He first saw active duty aboard the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy. Principi later served in the Vietnam War,^[1] commanding a River Patrol Unit in the Mekong Delta.

Principi earned his Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall in 1975,^[1] transferred from the Unrestricted Line as a Surface Warfare Officer to the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGC) and was assigned to the United States Navy's JAGC office in San Diego. In 1980, he was transferred to Washington as a legislative counsel for the Department of the Navy. He left active duty in 1980 after 14 years of commissioned service to serve as Republican counsel to the Senate Armed Services Committee at the invitation of Senator John Tower of Texas.^[3]

Career

Principi has worked on national policy issues and has held several executive-level positions in federal government throughout his career. He chaired the Federal Quality Institute in 1991, and was chairman of the Commission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Assistance established by Congress in 1996.

Principi served as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA's second-highest executive position, from March 17, 1989, to September 26, 1992, when he was named Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President George H. W. Bush. He served in that position until January 1993. Following that appointment, he served as Republican chief counsel and staff director of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services.

From 1984 to 1988, he served as Republican chief counsel and staff director of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He was the Veterans Administration's assistant deputy administrator for congressional and public affairs from 1983 to 1984, following three years as counsel to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

On March 15, 2005, President George W. Bush appointed nine members to serve on the 2005 BRAC Commission, with Principi to serve as the chairman.^[4] In October 2015, Principi was elected to the board of directors of Imprimis Pharmaceuticals.^[5]