New Jersey’s First Veteran Advocate Visits Morris County Veterans
Published on October 21, 2026
Michael Embrich Toured Morris County Veteran Service Office & Resource Event
Acting New Jersey Veteran Advocate Michael Embrich, nominated in August by Gov. Mikie Sherrill to become the first to head the state’s new Office of Veteran Advocate, made an impromptu visit and spoke to veterans at a Morris County Veterans Resource Connection event in Morris Township today. He praised the support programs Morris County has established at its Veteran Services Office, particularly enabling veterans to find services provided by the county, state and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in one location.
“It’s very rare that veterans have the opportunity to go to one location and have medical services mental health services and non-profit services, county and state services and federal services – and that’s what you have here in Morris County, which is an awesome thing that, statewide, is something I certainly will be pushing for,” Embrich told veterans at the Resource Connection event.
“Having all these great resources in one place is certainly beneficial and Morris County certainly is setting the standard for the state to follow,” he added.
Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was on hand to greet Embrich, along with the county’s five veteran services officers, Department of Human Services Director Kasey Errico and Christine Hellyer, director of the Division of Aging, Disabilities, Veterans and Community Programming.
“Just a few points to make. Of course, we have our five wonderful veteran services officers here today and I want to thank them for all they do,” Krickus told the group. “Morris County has a long history of supporting our veterans, and they find many resources here. Along with our Veterans Services Office, we also have a VA clinic upstairs and, thanks to the efforts of Congressman Thomas Kean Jr. and then Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, now Governor Sherrill, we have a federal community access point here for veterans. Our County College of Morris also has its Veteran Resource Center.”
The Resource Connection event was held at the Morris County Veteran Services Office, located off 540 West Hanover Avenue in a county facility that also houses a federal VA medical clinic and a federal Veteran Center Community Access Point, which provides readjustment counseling and mental health referral services.
The Resource Connection hosted by the county was just one of several special events the Veterans Services Office hosts throughout the year to link veterans to the many services available to them. About a dozen government and non-profit agencies set up tables at the day-long Resource Connection event.
The Office of Veteran Advocate was created in 2025, and Gov. Sherrill nominated Embrich to lead the office on Aug. 5, 2026. His confirmation in the post is pending state Senate approval.
Embrich is a U.S. Navy veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former policy advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He served aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt and received the Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Unit Commendation, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and other military awards and decorations.
For more information about Morris County’s Veterans Services Office:
email: MCVETS@co.morris.nj.us or call (973) 285-6858.
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Photo 1: Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus (l) and New Jersey Veteran Advocate Michael Embrich (r) spoke to veterans attending the Veterans Resource Connection at the Morris County Veterans Services Office. Next to them are Department of Human Services Director Kasey Errico and Christine Hellyer, director of the Division of Aging, Disabilities, Veterans and Community Programming
Photo 2: Veteran Advocate Embrich spoke to Deputy Director Krickus, Kasey Errico and Christine Hellyer about his new office’s goals to support and assist veterans in New Jersey.
Photo 3: (l to r) Veteran Service Officer (VSO) Donald Galante, Division Director Christine Hellyer, VSO Jason Leffler, VSO Jessica Tomalo, Commissioner Deputy Director Krickus and VSO Andrew Cornwallis.