WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today announced Robert Henke as the majority staff director for the committee. Henke succeeds Tom Bowman, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday, August 3, to serve as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Henke, a veteran himself, comes from the Senate Committee on Appropriations where he has served as staff director and majority clerk for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee since 2015.

“I’m thrilled to announce Bob Henke will be joining our majority office to lead our committee’s efforts to improve veterans care and provide critical oversight of the VA. In addition to his military service, Bob has a vast array of expertise in issue areas relating to veterans’ affairs and will be a great asset to our team,” said Isakson.

Senior policy advisor Adam Reece will be promoted to deputy staff director of the committee following the confirmation of Amanda Meredith to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Prior to her confirmation on August 3, Meredith had served in the deputy position since 2015.

“Like Tom and Amanda, Adam Reece has been with the committee since I became chairman and has led our efforts to improve accountability at the VA,” said Isakson. “Adam’s hard work and natural leadership lends itself extremely well to serve as deputy staff director of the committee’s majority office.”

Isakson continued, “Tom and Amanda have been critical members of our team, and I thank them both for their tireless service and dedication to our nation’s veterans. Going forward, I know that with Bob and Adam leading the way, we will be able to continue our great work as one of the most bipartisan and productive committees in the Senate.”

Henke previously served as the assistant secretary for management and chief financial officer at the VA and as the principal deputy undersecretary of defense (comptroller) at the Department of Defense. Henke served as commissioner on the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan and has also held a number of private sector positions. Henke has served twice in combat zones as an U.S. Navy officer, on active duty during Operation Desert Shield/Storm as a plank owner aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, where he qualified as a surface warfare officer and on reserve duty mobilized to the Persian Gulf for Operation Enduring Freedom. Henke received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Reece joined the committee majority office as a policy staffer in January 2015. He previously served as senior advisor and senior professional staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship minority office from 2009 to 2015. Reece, a graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, worked in various government relations positions in Georgia prior to moving to D.C. He received a master’s in public administration from Georgia State University.

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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 115th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the armed forces as well as more than 750,000 veterans.