Cathy L. Benson, MHA
Cathy L. Benson, MHA, is a seasoned healthcare executive and administrative leader with over 20 years of service at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Decatur, Georgia. She currently serves as Executive Secretary to the Associate Director of Nursing and Patient Care Services, where she supports executive leadership across nursing and medical operations. In this capacity, she works closely with the Medical Center Director, Deputy Director, and interdisciplinary teams spanning acute care, perioperative services, emergency medicine, and geriatric care. Her responsibilities include managing executive scheduling and travel, coordinating high-level meetings, documenting official minutes, and developing standard operating procedures and policy guidance that support organizational excellence and compliance.
In addition to her executive administrative leadership, Cathy plays an active role in staff development and operational support across clinical services. She collaborates with departments such as Food and Nutrition Services, where she has created structured orientation programs and provides one-on-one training for new team members. Her career also reflects a broad foundation in healthcare administration, clinical operations, law enforcement, and patient advocacy, all of which have strengthened her ability to lead in complex, high-pressure environments. She is widely recognized for her commitment to improving workflows, enhancing patient experiences, and ensuring veterans receive respectful, efficient, and compassionate care.
Beyond her federal service, Cathy L. Benson is an author, entrepreneur, and community advocate dedicated to empowerment and healing. She is the author of Finding My Way: A Path from Stagnation to Divine Acceleration and is currently working on Becoming Me and Sapphire Reborn, part of her three-book thriller series. She is Co-Founder of 25 Speaks, a nonprofit organization supporting survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, grief, mental health challenges, and divorce by helping them transform their personal testimonies into tools for healing others. She also founded EmpowHER Sanctuary, a faith-based initiative that provides a safe and restorative space for women to embrace authenticity and personal growth. Currently pursuing her Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in healthcare, Cathy aspires to establish a healthcare clinic and a residential support home for homeless veterans. Her work is grounded in a deep passion for service, with a lifelong mission to be a beacon of hope and advocacy for those she serves.
• Who’s Who,
Who’s Who America
• Belhaven University - BS, Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
• Hinds Community College - ABA
• Co-founder of 25 Speaks non-profit organization
• Founder of EmpowHER Sanctuary ministry
What do you attribute your success to?
When I think about what has made me successful, I have to give all the credit to my mother. My mother did not get a chance to experience what I've experienced. She didn't get a chance to get that high school education because of illness. She didn't get a chance to go to college and get those degrees. She didn't get a chance to serve in healthcare, because she loved helping people as well. She didn't get that opportunity. So, because she didn't, she implanted that skill inside of me to always go and be better, be more, and leave your mark. So I dedicate all that to my late mother. She is the reason behind my success.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received was from a previous supervisor. She told me to never wear my emotions on my sleeves, to never focus on your mood, to always stay focused and grounded on the plan, and to keep God first in all that you do. Because when people see you, you don't want them to just see you, you want them to see the light and the God in you. And that stuck with me. That stuck with me, and that's what I live by every day. That's how I made it to 20 years of service in my career, with being that hope and that beacon of light. So when people see me, they don't just see the smile, the beautiful smile, they actually see the light and the God in me. And that would be the advice that I would give to the next person.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay committed. The road is gonna get heavy. It's gonna get hard sometimes, but stay committed. As I said previously, always focus on your plan, never your mood, regardless of how you feel. Do it scared, do it unprepared, do it with tears in your eyes, but still do it. It will all make sense. The pain will be worth it. If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it. If He implanted that passion within your heart and gave you that purpose, in the end, it will all make sense.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The greatest opportunities that I've had is being able to network with people abroad. Working with the VA opened up many doors. Being located here in Georgia, migrating from the state of Mississippi here, I'm able to network, I'm able to go to conferences, I'm able to sit in a room with other like-minded individuals to sit at their feet, to learn different things. I've had opportunities to travel and actually speak, and to create new inventions, such as the red wheelchair brake, which was an invention that my partner and I created to help eliminate falls within the facility. I've been able to travel to Washington, to Phoenix, Arizona, to Nashville, Tennessee - those have been some of the greatest opportunities for me. One of the challenges that I face is having the knowledge and not being able to sometimes display the knowledge when you have individuals that know what you possess but they try to hold you back. That's been one of my challenges. But I have to keep it biblical - God will prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies. And even though those challenges arise for me, God still opened the door for me to have these opportunities that I've had.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in both my professional and personal life are excellency, advocacy, commitment, loyalty, and accountability. I believe in being able to communicate effectively and efficiently, and being able to not only hold myself accountable, but hold others accountable in all that you do. In order to be successful in anything in life, you have to know how to communicate effectively and efficiently. I always display respect to myself and others. I always advocate for what is right. I remain true to myself, true to what is right, to my truth. And at the end of the day, I love what I do. Above all, I believe in always serving with excellence.