God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.”
– St. John Henry Newman
Every year, Newman University hosts the Legacy Banquet to honor those who serve, follow God’s mission and work to find solutions to society’s most pressing problems — directly in the heart of the campus community.
On April 8, Newman recognized the four 2025 alumni award winners, the St. Newman Medal recipient and generous donors. In addition to families, friends and other Newman supporters, the 2025 student Ablah Award nominees were recognized for their promising contributions as the next generation of servant leaders.
“Each of our awardees experienced a unique takeaway from their Newman influence,” President Kathleen Jagger, Ph.D., MPH, said. “Whether that was in the way they served others, the trajectory of their careers or how much they valued faith and family. I think they are wonderful exemplars of what we hope future Newman graduates will be.”
Jump to links:
- Beata Netemeyer Alumni Award: Kathleen Webb
- Spirit of Acuto Alumni Award: Kimberly Lies
- Leon A. McNeill Distinguished Alumni Award: Tim Belsan
- St. Maria De Mattias Award: Alana McWilliams
- St. Newman Medal: J.T. Klaus
- Celebrating Newman donors
Providing stability for people in need: Kathleen Webb
Kathleen Webb ‘79, executive director of Children First CEO Kansas Inc., was named the 2025 recipient of Newman University’s Beata Netemeyer Alumni Award.
The award is named for the first provincial of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. It honors alumni who continue her spirit of service as they minister with others, bringing about the mission of Christ.
Webb’s nominators highlighted her emphasis on caring for people. They said, “Kaltheen has and carries out her passion for helping those living in poverty and others struggling with persistent mental illness. She has trusted and leaned on God throughout her journey and is faithfully obedient to do God’s work.”
Recognized for her passionate work uplifting low-income families, Webb leads a nonprofit that has grown from $50,000 to $1.3 million in revenue in just seven years. Children First supports students and families through mental health services in schools, garden-to-kitchen programs and emergency support for housing, food and stability. Webb also co-founded the St. Patrick Advocates of Divine Mercy to help the poor, which has provided $105,000 in aid to more than 500 people.
“It is God’s work and I’m just the surfer on his wave,” she said.
At Newman, Webb earned a degree in history, joined the history club led by the late Sister Charlotte Rohrbach, ASC, and served as a resident assistant. She also fondly remembers performing in a talent show in a toga — “it was a thing back then,” Webb said.
“Writing all those history papers and learning how to research was a game changer for me,” she said, crediting those skills for her success in grant writing today.
Reflecting on her Newman alumni award, Webb shared, “I feel honored and humbled.”
She added, “Newman gave me my first Catholic education — and a foundation for everything that came next.”
Educating through Christ’s love: Kimberly Lies
Kimberly Lies, a dedicated second-grade teacher and community volunteer, was honored with Newman’s 2025 Spirit of Acuto Award, which recognizes her tireless service, faith-driven mission and impactful presence in education.
The Spirit of Acuto Award is named for the area of Italy where St. Maria De Mattias, the founder of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, began her ministries in the 1830s. The award recognizes alumni who are driven to respond to the needs of others, using their talent and training to move a vision to reality.
Lies’ nominator emphasized that “her creativity and passion for her faith is a blessing to many,” not just in her faith-integrated teaching, but also as an active member of her Sacred Heart Catholic Church parish in Colwich, Kansas.
“I was surprised,” Lies said of receiving the award. “It’s humbling and exciting, especially after spending so many hours dedicated to others.”
Lies, who has more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education, currently teaches at Colwich Elementary School, coaching and providing faith-based service. She’s also a Kansas Regional Finalist for 2025 Teacher of the Year, a former Renwick 267 District Teacher of the Year and a 2008 Golden Apple recipient.
Beyond the classroom, Lies volunteers in prison ministry, leads Bible studies, decorates her parish’s gathering space and runs a handmade rosary business called Finding Time for Prayer.
“I’m passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others,” she said.
Lies will always remember her Newman volleyball and co-ed softball practices, late nights working for the U.S. Postal Service and cramming 23 credit hours at a time, often studying in the library or talking with classmates in the cafeteria.
“Newman helped me get started right away,” Lies said. “I’m grateful for the foundation, faith and formation that continue to guide me today.”
Advocate, mentor and D.C. attorney: Tim Belsan
Tim Belsan, a federal attorney, was selected as the 2025 recipient of the Leon A. McNeill Distinguished Alumni Award.
This award honors graduates who have achieved outstanding success in their personal lives and careers and have enriched the church spiritually, made contributions to society and demonstrated concern for others.
His nominator described him as “impactful, dedicated to working on cases that ensure fair treatment for all and a lifelong advocate and mentor.”
Belsan said he was “extremely honored” to receive the award, particularly because he knows several prior honorees and “holds them in extremely high esteem.”
“Newman has an incredible alumni base and has produced exceptionally successful individuals,” he said. “It’s hard to accept that I merit consideration and recognition among that incredible group.”
As an attorney with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Belsan previously held a senior executive service role with the U.S. Department of Justice — a position attained by less than 1% of federal employees. His passion for mentorship, teaching and family continues to guide his path.
“There is not much more fulfilling than the joy that comes from being able to watch a mentee thrive, especially in an area where we have had significant conversations over a period of time and I can see the growth,” he said.
Belsan came to Newman as a basketball recruit for former head men’s coach Mark Potter. He nearly transferred due to finances, but professors helped him secure a journalism scholarship. He served three years on “The Vantage” student newspaper staff, including one year as editor-in-chief, and considered McNeill Hall to be his favorite campus spot.
He added, “I treasure the relationships I developed with my professors, particularly professors Audrey Hane, Bryan Dietrich and Cheryl Golden, who deeply invested in my personal, academic and professional development in a way that changed the course of my life.”
Although Belsan was unable to attend the ceremony due to obligations in D.C., emcee and National Alumni Board President Pat Edwards ‘07 called Belsan an “exceptional human being.”
“We were both freshman together at Newman, and Tim is one of those guys that is good at everything he does,” Edwards said. “I’m just happy to know him and be proud of all of his accomplishments.”
Education, early literacy and faith: Alana McWilliams
Alana McWilliams was named the 2025 recipient of the St. Maria De Mattias Award, an honor that left her feeling “very humbled.” This award honors alumni who display a deep loyalty to Newman and its mission.
Her nominator described her as “an incredible person, an activator who helps identify and uplift talent and people all around her and an individual God uses to love and help others.”
McWilliams describes the award as “such a God moment for me.”
“I have always liked to keep my head down,” McWilliams said. “But this award came at such a remarkable moment for me.”
When she worked at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility, McWilliams was shocked to learn that “80% of maximum-security inmates have a reading-based disability, and two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare,” she said.
Inspired by her two daughters who have dyslexia, McWilliams combined her passion for education and the transformative impact of early literacy by founding the organization Designed to Learn. She also co-founded a faith-based education community, supports her local parish and serves on the board at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility’s Spiritual Life Center.
“I believe God placed me to see the scope of this issues and speak for those who don’t have a mom (like me) to fight for them,” she said.
As a Newman student, McWilliams joined the cross country team, edited the “Ramblings and Relics” history journal, participated in travel-based coursework and spent late nights preparing “The Vantage” for print. Like Belsan, McNeil Hall became McWilliam’s home base.
“The people are what make the school exceptional,” McWilliams said. She credits mentors like former professors Cheryl Golden and Mike Smith, along with Father Joseph Gile for helping shape her path.
St. Newman Medal recipient J.T. Klaus’ heart for service
J.T. Klaus ‘87 was awarded the 2025 St. Newman Medal for his unwavering commitment to service, visionary leadership and profound impact on Newman University and communities across Kansas.
After graduating summa cum laude from Newman, Klaus attended the University of Kansas School of Law. He is a partner and bond counsel for Triplett Woolf Garretson, LLC. In his career, he has represented 67 of 622 Kansas cities. Klaus has been recognized as a 40 under 40 Honoree, earned “Lawyer of the Year” recognition in 2019 by the Wichita Public Finance Law and was named in the Lifetime Achievement selection among America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, to name a few.
Even with a busy professional life, Klaus is dedicated to community involvement at Newman. He was a member of Newman’s Board of Trustees and eventually became chair, gave six years of service as an officer of the Newman Alumni Association and even volunteered as the master of ceremonies for the annual Party on the Plaza fundraiser for 13 years.
Matthew Schippers, J.D., LL.M., CPA, specializes in estate planning, tax planning, corporate law and real estate transactions at Triplett Woolf Garretson, LLC, alongside Klaus. Schippers said he was honored to recognize Klaus’ example at Newman during the Legacy Banquet.
“Seeing how much he loves the university and seeing his faith in action at work just says a lot about who he is,” Schippers said.
Current Board of Trustees chair Jenifer Stone, APRN, ’87, ’93 summarized Klaus’ commitment to service when she said, “He doesn’t look at things as they are. He looks at things as how they can be and what can we do to make them better.”
President Jagger considers Klaus a wise, reliable supporter of Newman who continues to give “in every way you could imagine.”
“He was the board chair who hired me and I’ve worked with him for years now,” Jagger said. “I’m just so grateful to J.T. for his heart and how invested he is here at Newman. I’m grateful, too, for his professional expertise. I can always call him and ask him a question — even now when he’s not on the board.”
One of Klaus’ best friends, Todd Shoemaker, also attended the event. He stated that “there’s always somebody deserving of this award,” and Klaus is “definitely deserving of this.”
“With all he’s done for the university and the ASC sisters, being a former student and two kids that have graduated here all the time, he’s definitely earned this honor,” Shoemaker said. “I’m very, very happy that he got it.”
In his acceptance speech, Klaus reflected on memories made as a student leader during his campus days. He and his crew of friends made a lasting impression not only at Newman, but also at Friends University through a friendly rivalry that the Wichita Eagle coined “the War on 54.”
Klaus’ recognition extends beyond the tangible token of achievement; he will also give the 2025 commencement address to graduates in May.
Generosity creates opportunity: Celebrating Newman donors
Vice President of Institutional Advancement Bob Beumer said the Legacy Banquet encompasses “everything good about Newman,” and that philanthropy serves as “the lifeblood of any great university.”
“We appreciate everything our donors do for us — from the students to the alumni in the audience who may have received a scholarship when they were students,” Beumer said. “It’s all because of the donors and that philanthropic intent that they share their wealth with us and we, in turn, share it with others.”
Beumer and Jagger welcomed Newman’s newest donors into the giving societies. In addition to new donors, several established donors were present at the banquet and were recognized with profound gratitude.
De Mattias Society
New donors who gave $1,000 or more to Newman University in the past year were recognized and inducted into three giving societies: the De Mattias Society, Monsignor McNeill Society and Sacred Heart Society.
The De Mattias Society is reserved for donors who give $1,000 to $9,999 in a year. The 2025 inductees are:
- Beth Fatkin
- Lon Flippo
- Samuel Hersh
- Jane Morch
- Matthew Schippers
- Knights of Columbus #10483
- Sunflower Bank
- Voiture No58 of Kansas 40 & B
- Jeff Albers
- Daniel Bryan
- Roxy Casas
- Richard Dwyer
- Robert Feeney
- Coleen Jennison
- Derrick Joe
- Travis Overly
- Bishop David L Ricken
- Charlie Shepard
- Cynthia Timmons
- Rose Unrein
- Dianna White
Monsignor McNeill Society
The Monsignor McNeill Society recognizes donors who gave $10,000 to $24,999. The 2025 inductees are:
- John Weir
- Advanced Orthopaedic Associates
- Robert Barrientos
- Community Foundation of Southwest KS
- Kyle Eck
- Catherine and Bill Powers
- Randy Simon
- Mary Lu Tuthill
“Worth investing in”: Sentiments from donors
Samuel Hersch, who graduated from Newman in 2018, joined the Newman team as senior development officer. Tasked with engaging alumni, developing key relationships with donors and spearheading community outreach efforts, Hersh himself became a donor of the De Mattias Society during the 2024 fiscal year.
“Newman’s been a big part of my life and the mission is something I continue to believe in,” he said.
He recognized the power of giving as “a way to make somebody’s life better.”
“I think we need more people to continue to make an impact as we grow from a fundraising standpoint,” Hersh added. “And I’m hoping this time next year we’ll have even more people being inducted that are new.”
Another donor, Bethany Fatkin, described her Newman journey as transformative in “life, mind, body and spirit.”
“I was a staff member at Newman University and had the opportunity to finish my degree,” she explained. “I just grew so much. Of course, intellectually, but I was also moved to convert to the Catholic faith.”
Fatkin grew up Lutheran but continuously searched in her faith. When she attended Newman’s Mass of the Holy Spirit and matriculation ceremony to recognize first-year students, she felt “overwhelmed.”
“I just felt like this is where I need to be,” she said. “I could never give back what Newman gave to me. So I try with volunteering, serving on the alumni board and through my financial support. It’s money well spent. It’s the greatest place to be and it would be a shame for somebody to not have the opportunity to come here just because they don’t have the resources.”
Edwards, alumni board president, believes philanthropy, alumni recognition and the St. Newman Medal award all go “hand in hand.”
“There are a lot of stories that come to light through the alumni awards that I would never know about otherwise,” Edwards said. “Showcasing all of them together is a great way to show the good things they’re doing both in the world and ensures donors that our students are worth investing in.”
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