Executive Director (Interim), Atlanta VA Health Care System
Board Members
Daniel L. Dücker, M. ED., MSS
Mr. Dücker was appointed as the Interim Director of the Atlanta VA Healthcare System effective September 25, 2023.
Prior to his appointment as the Interim Director, Mr. Dücker has served as the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Executive Director since April 2022.
Prior to this role, Mr. Dücker became the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System Executive Director in June 2019. As the executive director, he led a team of more than 2,500 health care professionals and staff, serving more than 85,000 Veterans at 15 locations throughout 19 counties in southeast North Carolina, with an overall operating budget of more than 750 million dollars.
Before assuming the role of executive director at Fayetteville VA, he served respectively as the acting deputy network director for VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) in Durham, North Carolina and interim medical center director for VA Maine Healthcare System – Togus in August, Maine. Mr. Dücker began his VA career in April 2009 as the executive assistant to the chief of staff at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida.
During his eight years in Tampa, he also served successively as the clinical operations and business analyst/group practice manager before accepting a position in July 2017 as the associate medical center director at the VA Maine Healthcare System.
Mr. Dücker retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2017 as a Medical Service Corps officer at the rank of Colonel after nearly 34 years of service. He received numerous awards during his military service including the Legion of Merit (2) and the Bronze Star for leadership and meritorious service as a Commander in Afghanistan.
A 1987 graduate of University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in therapeutic recreation, he also earned a Master of Education in higher education administration at the University of South Carolina in 1992 as well as a Master of Arts in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in 2010. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Reserve Officers Association, the American Legion, and the Military Officers Association of America.