Washington, D.C. -- John Hanson, a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on July 8, 1999.
Hanson, who will direct policies governing VA's news media and public and internal communications programs, as well as intergovernmental and consumer affairs activities, most recently was VA's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs.
Before his 1994 VA appointment, he was on the national staff of The American Legion at its Washington, D.C., headquarters for more than 10 years, where he served as deputy director for public relations and director of the Legion's veterans affairs and rehabilitation division.
Hanson worked for the National Governors' Association from 1979 to 1983, and served on the staff of Governor George Busbee of Georgia from 1976 to 1979.
Hanson attended the University of Alabama and graduated from Georgia State University in 1977 with a B.A. in journalism and political science. He is a Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
