Manila Regional Office

Assistant Director: Keith Sekuterski

Keith Sekuterski was appointed as the Assistant Director of the Manila Regional Office (RO) in September 2024. He is responsible for representing the Department of Veterans Affairs during meetings with the US Ambassador to the Philippines and serves as the US Ambassador’s delegate at designated local US Embassy functions and ceremonies.  Keith oversees the day-to-day operations of 90 RO employees that include both locally employed staff and US direct hires. Keith is directly responsible for administering a range of services including disability compensation, pension, and the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) benefits to Veterans, their dependents, and their survivors. The Manila RO pays over $290 million in benefits annually to 11,000 beneficiaries. Keith is responsible for providing outreach to Veterans residing in the Philippines, Palau, Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Keith has administrative oversight and payroll responsibilities for employees in VR&E, and Education Service. In addition, Keith has fiscal support responsibilities for VHA.   

Keith entered federal service in 1996 when he joined the United States Army and began his career with the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2001, shortly after his discharge from active duty. Keith has served in many positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career. Prior to being appointed to his current position, Keith served as the Veterans Service Center Manager of the Detroit VA Regional Office from 2012 to 2024. There Keith provided oversight to 350 plus employees administering VA disability compensation benefits to Veterans and their family members within the state of Michigan.  

VHA/OPC Clinic Manager: John L. Stelsel

John L. Stelsel was appointed as the Health System Administrator (Clinic Manager) for the VA Manila Outpatient Clinic. In this role, he is responsible for the daily operations of VA’s only clinical location outside of the United States and its territories. The VA Manila Outpatient Clinic provides service-connected health care benefits to more than 6,000 unique Veterans annually. In addition to outpatient primary care, mental health, and specialty care, VA Manila also provides laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy services.

John began his VA career in 1992 as an Textile Care Manager Intern at the William S. Middleton VAMC in Madison, WI and served in various administrative leadership positions of increasing responsibility at nine VA facilities across the country.

Prior to this appointment John served as Assistant Director, VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System from September 2012-December 2022. He was directly involved in the day-to-day operations of VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System.

He served as the facility’s Acting Associate Director on several occasions; and in 2021, was detailed as Acting Associate Director of the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System.

John holds a both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in occupational safety from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is also a graduate of several leadership programs including VA’s Health Care Leadership Institute and is a Fellow-Level Mentor in the national mentor certification program.

Veterans Service Center Manager: Hung Dinh

Hung Dinh is a Veterans Service Center Manager of the Manila Regional Office.  In this role, he oversees day-to-day operations of 66 employees in the Veterans Service Center which administers benefits for 11,000 beneficiaries valuing over $290 millions. 

Mr. Dinh joined VBA as a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) at the Seattle Regional Office in November 2008.  Mr. Dinh progressed his career working in variety of roles in different VBA business lines of Veterans Service Center (VSC), Disability Rating Activity Site (DRAS), and Decision Review Operation Centers (DROC). 

Mr. Dinh earned a B.A. in Biochemistry and a B.S. in Economics from University of Washington in 2008.  In 2014, Mr. Dinh graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Seattle University. He likes to play sports such as basketball and tennis recreationally.

Administrative Officer (Support Services Division Chief): Maricar Tan, M.D.

Maricar Tan serves as VBA’s Head of Finance, Administration, Logistics, and Facilities Support.  Maricar’s VA career started in 2007 at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center as a Health Technician in Medical Service and since assumed many roles to include Administrative Support Assistant, GI-Endoscopy Technician, Performance Improvement Coordinator, Program Analyst-Quality Management; and in 2016, became the Executive Assistant to the Associate Director where she had oversight over Fiscal, Logistics/Supply Chain Management, Medical Administration, Emergency Management, Environmental Management, Public Safety, Facility Management, Privacy, Prosthetics, VERA, and Police Service; then later EA to the Associate Director-Patient Care Services where she had oversight over Nursing, Sterile Processing, Nutrition and Food Service, and Education and Learning Resources.

Besides overseeing the daily administrative, operational, and clinical services of the facility on behalf of the Executive Leadership Team, Ms. Tan has been trained under the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and served as Incident Command Staff on multiple emergent occasions; served as a Volunteer English to Tagalog VA Document and VA Voice Translator under the VA Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Program through the VHA Office of Communications; designated facility’s Information Access Management (IAM)/Customer User Provisioning System (CUPS) Facility Point of Contact through the Office of Information & Technology (OI&T), Austin Information Technology Center (AITC), Mainframe Access Management Team; trained in Green Belt/Lean Six Sigma and facilitated multiple performance improvement (PI) projects and workgroups; trained Fact-Finder through the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC); and recently served as Acting Chief Supply Chain Officer.  Additionally, Ms. Tan is a 2022 graduate of the highly competitive VHA Health Care Leadership Development Program (HCLDP) that ingrained VA health system principles, values, and leadership philosophies.

Ms. Tan was born in the Philippines where she got her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology and graduate degree as a Medical Doctor (MD) from the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila. She immigrated to the United States in 2000 to start her family. She and her husband of 25 years have been blessed with two children; one pursuing a major in Criminology; the eldest graduated with a BS in Medical Microbiology and Immunology and will be pursuing a MD program.