Air Force veteran Lourdes Tiglao and Navy veteran James Albino, who served as the directors of the Center for Women Veterans and the Center for Minority Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, were dismissed Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Department of Veterans Affairs)
WASHINGTON — The directors of the Center for Minority Veterans and the Center for Women Veterans were dismissed Thursday night by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs the programs, VA officials said.
Lourdes Tiglao, an Air Force veteran, ran the women’s center, and James Albino, a Navy veteran, directed the center for minority veterans.
The two were political appointees of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Both will be replaced with new leaders, the VA said, describing their terminations as routine for an incoming administration and unrelated to an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government.
Albino and Tiglao stepped into their roles as center directors in 2021 replacing appointees made during the first Trump administration, the VA said. The centers offer a range of services to women and minorities that include help with benefits, legal services and small-business programs.
Acting directors have been appointed for both positions, as a search for new leaders gets underway, according to the VA. The center’s work and operations continue uninterrupted, the VA said.
Lynda Davis, VA chief veterans experience officer, will temporarily lead the women’s center. Debra Walker, deputy director of the minority center, will step into the top role until a replacement is found, the VA said.
“VA is working to appoint permanent leaders for both organizations,” the agency said.
As the center director, Tiglao served as an adviser to former VA Secretary Denis McDonough on policies and programs that affect female veterans. She is a fellow at the Truman National Security Project, a think tank that focuses on national security solutions.
Tiglao served in the Air Force from 1996 to 2007 as a cardiopulmonary specialist on a critical care air transport support team, with deployments to Japan, the Philippines and Afghanistan.
As minority center director at the VA, Albino advised McDonough on the adoption and implementation of policies and programs affecting veterans who are minorities. He previously served as deputy assistant secretary for the VA’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Albino was a lieutenant in the Navy from 1981 to 1985 based in Norfolk, Va. He worked as a ship’s navigator, combat control officer and tactical action officer. He led two divisions on board the guided-missile destroyer USS John King.
