San Jacinto Man Tapped To Lead County's Veterans’ Services Department

The following is a news release from the County of Riverside:

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The County of Riverside named Gregory Coffos to lead the County of Riverside Veterans’ Services Department. The top position leads a dedicated staff with a mission of helping more than 50,000 veterans each year identify, register for, and receive benefits available as a result of their military service.

“Gregory’s military service and nonprofit work will provide a critical perspective to the way the county provides services to our veterans,” said Board Chair Kevin Jeffries, First District Supervisor. “His commitment to the mission, as well as dedication to finding opportunities to serve more veterans in more ways, will have a marked impact within our veteran community.”

The County of Riverside Veterans’ Services department assistance ranges from housing support and social services to college tuition and healthcare benefits.

“Veterans have a plethora of needs and it takes a village to provide these myriad services that range from high needs to low needs,” said Coffos. “My goal is to establish supportive relationships with other agencies serving the community, so that together, we will help even more veterans.”

Coffos has 10 years of service in the nonprofit sector working to connect unhoused residents to housing, as well as five years of military service in the U.S. Navy as a logistics specialist, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 146 in Lemoore, CA.

Throughout his career, Coffos has sought to draw upon relationships with like-missioned agencies to create a greater impact. His most recent post was the director of housing for the Inland Empire for Step Up on Second. Prior, he worked for the Path of Life Ministry and U.S. Vets, where he helped veterans living on the streets transition to living in a home.

His official start date with the county is September 5. One key priority for the department is enhanced services delivery within the county’s holistic, no-wrong-door integrated services model.

Coffos lives in San Jacinto with his wife and two children. No stranger to a spectrum of services, one of his children is a recent high school graduate, while the other child is starting kindergarten.

The previous director for Veterans’ Services, Grant Gautsche, retired from the county in June.