Kevin Newell ’98 to speak at KWU’s Veterans Recognition Ceremony

Kevin Newell '98 will be the guest speaker at Kansas Wesleyan University's annual Veterans Recognition Ceremony. The ceremony, part of Homecoming Weekend, takes place Friday, Oct. 24, beginning at 11 a.m. on the Bevan Green. Admission is free.

Born and raised in Salina, Newell attended Kansas Wesleyan from 1994-98, graduating with his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduating, he spent time with the Salina Police Department and Saline County Jail, as well as in the construction business with his father. He was then hired as a full-time detachment readiness NCO with the Kansas Army National Guard (KSARNG).

He deployed in 2004 to Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom II, then to the Sinai Peninsula in 2009 as a multinational force observer. He retired from service in January 2024, following 22 active-duty years with KSARNG and over 31 total years of military service.

Today, he works as the part-time military division director for Build a Pro, a local nonprofit that serves as an apprenticeship intermediary to address labor shortages. Newell is also a husband and a father to three children.

Pre-registered veterans and active-duty military will receive a complimentary lunch following the ceremony.

For more information or to register, please call 785-833-4392 or email Cathy Doubrava at [email protected].

The full Homecoming schedule can be found at https://www.kwu.edu/homecoming2025.