Kansas Adjutant General, KHP Superintendent announce retirements

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Adjutant General for the State of Kansas as well as the Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent have both announced they are set to retire in 2023.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced on Wednesday, Feb. 8, that Adjutant General Major David Weishaar and Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones are both set to retire.

“General Weishaar and Colonel Jones have together helped keep Kansans safe over the past several years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. Kelly said. “Both have overseen immense operations throughout our entire state during challenging times, and I am grateful for their service and dedication. I wish them the best in their retirements.”

Kelly noted that Maj. Gen. Weishaar was appointed as the Adjutant General on April 1, 2020, and has led 7,000 soldiers and airmen in the Kansas National Guard since. He also served as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor and Director of Emergency Management for the State of Kansas.

“Serving as the Adjutant General for the State of Kansas has been the highlight of my career,” Weishaar said. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served the citizens of Kansas and the thousands of soldiers, airmen, and civilians who make up the Adjutant General’s Department. Any success I’ve had over the past 42 years is because of the teams I’ve been privileged to be a part of. They made it fun to come to work, even on the days we had to deal with things that weren’t fun.”

The Governor said Weishaar is set to retire on April 1. She will appoint Brigadier General Michael Venerdi to become the state’s next Adjutant General. He currently serves as the Chief of Staff - Air to the Adjutant General and as Director of the Joint Staff, Kansas National Guard at the Joint Force Headquarters in Topeka. He previously served as Commander of the 184th Wing at McConnell Air Force Base.

Kelly also noted that after more than 45 years in law enforcement, KHP Superintendent Jones will retire from his cabinet position on July 1.

“It has been a sincere and distinct honor serving the citizens of Kansas as the Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol,” Jones said. “It has been my endeavor to keep Kansas highways and communities safe. Through the support of Governor Kelly and the collaboration of many dedicated employees of the Kansas Highway Patrol, we have strived to maintain the integrity of this agency.”

Before he was appointed as KHP Superintendent in 2019, the Governor said Jones was Shawnee Co. Sheriff. He served as a police officer in Emporia, as a state trooper for the KHP and as an instructor at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.

Kelly said she will announce Jones’ successor in the coming months.