James Bond to serve as Department of Veterans Affairs secretary

Jan. 10—The man who has been deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be its new secretary, making him the first LGBTQ person to lead a cabinet agency in Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday.

James Bond, a veteran with disabilities who served in the Marines, will become the secretary designee in a role left vacant by former Secretary Mary Kolar's retirement. He assumed the role Monday.

"James has been a dedicated leader at DVA for over a decade and has served the Department and Wisconsin veterans well as deputy secretary," Evers said in a statement. "As a veteran himself, along with his decades of state service, I have no doubt he will bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and expertise to this role as secretary."

Bond joined the agency in 2010. He served as a veteran benefits and veteran services administrator before his appointment as deputy secretary in 2019. He formerly worked for the state Department of Workforce Development.

"I'd like to thank Governor Evers for this incredible honor," Bond said in a statement. "I have built a career in service — service to my country, the state of Wisconsin, and to fellow veterans. As secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, I will continue in this vein and work with veteran advocates across 72 counties and 11 Tribal Nations to deliver benefits and services veterans have earned, tell their stories, and honor their contributions."

His appointment follows clashes between Evers and the state Senate over that chamber's unwillingness to confirm some of the governor's appointees. Bond's appointment is subject to approval by the Senate, although he can serve in the role if the chamber refuses to vote on his appointment.

The relationship between Evers and the Senate may change with Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Evers on speaking terms and appearing more willing to compromise than they were during the governor's first term.

LeMahieu said earlier this month that Evers' appointments will go through the committee process to determine which, if any, will come to the Senate floor for a full vote, but wouldn't commit to anything further. But he castigated some of Evers' past cabinet nominations as "politically charged."

Bond received bachelor's and master's degrees from UW-Madison. He lives in Madison with his husband and two sons.

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