By Vantage Staff
Newman University has a new director of security, and he has a tie to the person who held the job last year.
Carlos Atondo, who just retired from a 28-year-career with the Wichita Police Department, actually once was partners on the force with Steve Patton, who was the head of security at Newman from 2023 until he decided to leave the job at the end of last year. When Patton was at Newman, he even hired Atondo to work as extra security at events like the Color Run.
Atondo — whose first day as new director of security was Wednesday — said that he found himself a bit bored after retirement and was in search of a new opportunity. When he heard Patton had left the position at Newman, he was interested.
“I'd come here and see Steve when he was working and would think, ‘Man, this would be laid back. I would really like this position,’” Atondo said.
The new security director was the star attraction at an event on Wednesday that was put on in conjunction with National Coffee with a Cop Day. The event, sponsored by Multicultural Engagement in the Student Activity Center, invited students, staff and faculty to enjoy a doughnut and a cup of coffee and chat with Atondo.
Several members of the Newman community did stop by, as did two of Atondo’s former Wichita Police Department colleagues, both wearing their police uniforms. Near the start of the event, one of those colleagues — WPD officer Lori Kimrey — asked Atondo to pose for a selfie with her, and he happily agreed.
Atondo, who was born in Mexico, grew up in Harper County, Kansas, wanting to be a police officer. He attended Cowley College in Arkansas City, where he earned a degree in criminal justice. His first police job was in Harper, but after a couple of years, he was hired on to the Wichita Police Department, where he also worked as a beat cop and did a stint in community policing.
The father of two daughters in their 20s, Atondo said he’s the type of person who likes working with young people. During his time with the WPD, he spent five years working as a school resource officer at Wichita’s Marshall Middle School and Pleasant Valley Middle School.
“I like being around the kids,” he said. “I really enjoyed that. I like this kind of light-hearted atmosphere.”
Atondo said he’ll spend his early days on the job getting to know people around Newman. Another officer temporarily replaced Patton at the start of the school year but got a job offer that was too good to pass up, said Director of Student Life Andi Giesen.
During the time that Newman was looking for a new director, third-party vendor Smart Security provided security for Newman.
PHOTO: Vantage Staff
