Murphy Tabs First Woman As NJ Military And Veterans Affairs Head

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy has nominated Colonel Dr. Lisa Hou for the role of Adjutant General and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Hou would be the first Asian-American, and first woman, to hold the position in the state's history.

Hou transitioned from Deputy Adjutant General to interim Adjutant General and Commissioner in October, after Major General Jemal J. Beale stepped down amid scandal at the state's veterans homes in Paramus and Menlo Park over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more: Murphy Announces Leadership Shake-Up At Paramus Veterans Home

"Colonel Hou took the reins of the New Jersey National Guard and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in the midst of this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic," said Murphy.

"Since day one, she has demonstrated that she is the right person for the job, from overseeing the deployment of our National Guard to our vaccination sites, to taking immediate action to keep our veterans safe, to sending National Guard members to our nation’s capital to defend our democracy. I know that Colonel Hou will bring the same dedication to this job as she has exhibited throughout her entire career, including her tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Hou's background in both military and medicine have prepared her for the job she's likely to take, though the nomination must still be confirmed by the state Senate.

Prior to her current role, Hou served in the dual roles of commander of the Medical Command and the State Surgeon, where she was responsible "for the medical and dental readiness of more than 6,000 soldiers." She served as a senior field surgeon in Iraq from 2005 to 2006, then again as a field surgeon in Afghanistan in 2011.

"With 25 plus years wearing an Army uniform and nearly the same amount of time as a doctor, it feels like I have been training for this job for decades. As a physician and veteran, I’m determined to make New Jersey a better place for veterans, servicemembers, and their families," said Hou.

That will come as welcome news to current veterans and families at the state-run veterans homes, who were in the middle of a fumbled coronavirus response for much of the pandemic.

Prior to the leadership shake-up which saw Hou step into the interim role she holds now, federal inspectors determined the Paramus veterans home's coronavirus response was so riddled with negligence and incompetence that all residents and staff were found to be in "immediate jeopardy" of contracting COVID-19.

Emails from the report show former Paramus CEO Matthew Schottlander actively tried to dismiss staff concerns which would keep them away from the home, which had become overrun by the virus, according to Northjersey.com, who broke the story at the time.

After news spread about what the report contained, VFW officials released a statement in August 2020 urging the Attorney General and the prosecutor's offices of Bergen and Middlesex County to investigate the leadership at these facilities.

As of Monday, 81 residents in Paramus, 64 in Menlo Park and 11 at the Vineland veterans home have died from COVID-19. One staff member has died from COVID-19 at the Paramus and Menlo Park homes, respectively.

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