UNION COUNTY, NJ — Christopher Hudak of Clark has been sworn in as the 16th Union County surrogate. Hudak assumes the position of surrogate after serving 12 years on the Union County Board of County Commissioners; he served as commissioner vice chairperson this past year.
“I thank the residents of Union County for their confidence in first electing me in 2010, and now it is an honor to have been elected Union County surrogate. Serving our constituents has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life, and I look forward to serving all of our residents in a different capacity,” said Hudak. “As I begin the work of the surrogate, I remember my predecessor, James S. LaCorte, who held this position for 20 years and was a man of grace. My staff and I are committed to extending that same poise to anyone who walks through our doors.”
Hudak was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy in October to complete the unexpired term of LaCorte and was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate. He will begin a new five-year term on Sunday, Jan. 1.
The county surrogate is an elected position, established by the New Jersey Constitution, that oversees the probating of wills, qualification of will executors, appointment of administrators for those estates without wills, and qualification of guardians for incapacitated persons and minors, as well as certain matters related to adoption. The office also operates the Surrogate’s Intermingled Trust Fund for minors and incapacitated persons. Elections for county surrogate are held every five years.
While on the commissioner board, Hudak led the creation of the Union County Infrastructure Grant program, which to date has distributed more than $12 million in matching grants for road resurfacing and other municipal infrastructure priorities. He sponsored the county’s initiative to combat heroin addiction by supporting Operation Helping Hand, which connects residents with rehab services, and created a grants program to support STEM opportunities in elementary and middle schools countywide. During his tenure, Union County became the first county nationwide to ask gun vendors for their positions on gun safety.
Hudak, an attorney, has experience in public and nonprofit service, including with Kean University, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the Partnership for a DrugFree New Jersey, and as a staff member in the New Jersey Assembly and state Senate. Hudak graduated from Roselle Catholic High School, has a master’s degree in public administration from Kean University and received his juris doctorate, as well as his bachelor’s degree, from Rutgers University. He was born and raised in Linden, and now resides in Clark with his wife, Terri, their daughter, Catherine, and son, Jackson.
The Union County Surrogate’s Office is located in the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad St., Elizabeth.
For more information about the programs and services of the Union County surrogate, visit ucnj.org/surrogate, email [email protected] or call 908-527-4280. Questions and concerns may also be faxed to the surrogate’s office at 908-351-9212.
Photo Courtesy of Katherine Soares