Hazlet Veteran Who Overcame Homelessness A Guest At Budget Address

HAZLET, NJ — Among nine special guests invited to Gov. Phil Murphy's budget address Tuesday was Michael Mattessich of Hazlet.

Mattessich is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who eight years ago experienced homelessness, the Governor's Office said. He was one of several guests of First Lady Tammy Murphy at the address.

Now Mattessich is the director of Goodwill's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, which covers seven New Jersey counties to aid veterans who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or transitioning from incarceration or active-duty service to the public sector, the Governor's Office said in a news release.

Mattessich is a new homeowner in Hazlet, where he lives with his wife Ritchie and son Marcus and daughter Ava.

Mattessich also runs a charity called B4VOIN - Bikes 4 Veterans and Others in Need. The organization has donated over 425 bikes to veterans and their families since March of 2019, the news release said.

Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Address on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 28.

Mattessich and eight others were invited by First Lady Tammy Murphy to hear the address because they "personify the values and spirit that Governor Murphy highlights in his speech and embody the Murphy Administration’s policies at work for New Jerseyans," the news release said.

The other guests include:

• Clinton F. "Freddy” Banks, Willingboro, a Vietnam veteran.
• Alam Nunez De la Rosa, Camden, a naturalized citizen who purchased a home here.
• Kennedy Fuller, Jersey City, an eighth-grade honor roll student at Academy I Middle School in Jersey City.
• Mary McLoughlin, Montgomery Township, the Superintendent of Schools for the Montgomery Township School District.
• Khelsea Sealy, Trenton, a product manager for Bank of America & Merrill Lynch and new mother.
• Mayor Marty Small, Atlantic City, who was first elected in 2003, making him the youngest councilman in the history of Atlantic City.
• Elvira Smith, Millville, director of Crisis Screening Services at Cumberland County Guidance Center.
• Korn Wongsarochana, Clinton, owner and head chef of Pru Thai restaurant in Clinton.

Murphy has said that his proposed budget is a "renewed commitment to building a New Jersey that is both affordable and rich with opportunity.”

“This year, I am honored to be joined by individuals whose voices have guided the creation of this year’s budget and who embody the values my administration leads with every day. Together, we will ensure that we are shaping this Next New Jersey in the service of growing and securing the middle class, where the American Dream is more expansive and inclusive than ever before,” he said

First Lady Tammy Murphy said she is "honored and humbled to be joined by this group of remarkable special guests who represent the rich diversity and unique stories of our state."