Grand Traverse County Department of Veterans Affairs

What it does. "The Grand Traverse County Veterans Affairs Office strives to provide professional assistance to veterans and their families with understanding and accessing available benefits through Federal, State of Michigan and local government agencies. Our office provides services to residents of Grand Traverse, and Leelanau Counties." Its officers file VA compensation (including TDIU), pension and survivors' claims and "track every claim that they process from beginning to end. We do not hand our client's claims over to another organization." They also run the county's emergency assistance and burial allowance and take Michigan Veterans Trust Fund applications (their own entries). The FY2025 annual report counts about $3.8 million in new annual VA benefits won for clients, 30% more than the year before. Who and where. Director Michael W. Roof; Veteran Service Officers Jennifer Albrecht, Lucas Clark and Chris Dailey (2025 report). 2650 LaFranier Road, Traverse City, MI 49686; 231-995-6070, fax 231-929-1983; Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Leelanau County contracts with the department: an officer is at the Leelanau County Government Center, 8527 E. Government Center Drive, Suttons Bay, every Tuesday. The Mobile Service Unit is at the VA clinic on U.S. 31 on Mondays, the VFW hall at 3400 Veterans Drive on Thursdays and the United Way office, 4075 Copper Ridge Drive, on Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rides. "The Grand Traverse County Chapter of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) manages the coordination of rides for veterans to various VA Medical Facilities"; request a ride by email or at 231-313-9357. The DAV chapter runs the rides, not the county. The money and oversight. The department is paid for mainly by a voted veterans millage, about 0.1090 mill in 2026; the county's August 2026 review found $1.00 million of revenue and $749,687 spent in 2025 and a $1.23 million balance, and asked the department for a multi-year plan before the next levy. A seven-member Veterans Affairs Administrative Committee of veterans appointed by the Board oversees the department and meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 8 a.m. at 2650 LaFranier Road. See the Michigan entry on county departments of veterans affairs.