Eight Essex County employees recognized for service in U.S. Armed Forces

Photo Courtesy of Glen Frieson
At the 13th annual Essex County Veterans Day Observance in Veterans Memorial Park in Newark on Thursday, Nov. 10, are, from left, Essex County Community Star Award winners Christopher Richardson, Andres Made and Larry Sermons; Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr.; and award winners Tyronne Winn, Robert Sutton and Andres Lebron. Not pictured are award winners Johnny Lawton and Sylvia Velez.

NEWARK, NJ — The 13th annual Essex County Veterans Day Observance was held Thursday, Nov. 10, in Essex County Veterans Memorial Park in Newark. During the ceremony, the county executive presented Essex County Community Star Awards to eight Essex County employees who have served or continue to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

“Throughout our country’s history, brave men and women have put their lives on hold to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces at home and abroad. Our Essex County Veterans Memorial Park was created to provide our veterans with a place to find serenity and comfort, and provide a constant reminder to the public about their contributions and sacrifices,” Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. said. “We are proud to stand with our veterans at this important occasion, give them our respect, and thank them for representing our country with valor and bravery. Our honorees this year demonstrate their commitment to public service by working as county employees and helping us continue putting Essex County first.”

The following individuals received Essex County Community Star Awards.

Andres Lebron is a member of the Army National Guard and serves as a detective in the Homicide Unit of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Andres Made is a veteran of the Marine Corp and currently is a data processing systems programmer in the IT Unit of the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. He was in the Marines for four years and was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina; Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, also known as 29 Palms, in California; and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
Christopher Richardson is an Army veteran and currently serves as a detective in the Patrol Division with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. He served in the Army for 26 years, attained the rank of sergeant first class, and was responsible for training recruits when he was stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been a police officer for 12 years and previously worked in the Courts Division and was on loan to the ECPO for one year.
Johnny Lawton is a veteran of the Army and serves as a records custodian in the Surrogate’s Office.
Larry Sermons is a veteran of the Army and serves as a counselor with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act team in the Division of Employment and Training.
Robert Sutton is a Navy veteran and currently serves as a detective with the Sheriff’s Office. He was in the Navy for four and a half years and was assigned to the Navy Security Forces Unit providing anti-terrorism and force protection throughout Southwest Asia. He has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and previously was assigned in the Courts, K-9 Unit and Patrol divisions.
Sylvia Velez is a veteran of the Marine Corps and serves as a counselor with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act team in the Division of Employment and Training.
Tyronne Winn is a veteran of the Marine Corps and is currently a keyboarding clerk in the IT Unit in the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. He was in the Marines for four years, serving as a member of the security forces in Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, where he guarded aircraft with nuclear capabilities and was a member of the Special Reaction Force. In addition, he was an infantry rifleman at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.