Nick Stefanovic inducted into NYS Senate Veterans Hall of Fame

Local veteran Nick Stefanovic has been inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.

Stefanovic, a 2000 Gates Chili graduate, served as a Marine in the war in Afghanistan.

You may recognize him from the Monroe County Veterans Service Agency, where he was appointed director in 2018. But before that, he overcame battles with addiction and homelessness. He says the veterans treatment court saved his life when he wanted to give up.

“To take somebody who is hopeless themselves, put them in a situation where you have leverage to use, and say ‘you’re not going to be the one that makes that decision right now, I’m going to make that decision for you, I’m going to tell you there is hope — you don’t have to believe me but you’re going to give me a year in this process, and if you don’t believe it after the year is done then go do what you were going to do.’ And that’s where the treatment court works,” Stefanovic said.

His latest project is working on the first county-run nature-based therapy program for veterans.