ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The Kansas Adjutant General’s office will soon see a new face at its helm.
Monday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced she has appointed Brigadier General Paul W. Schneider to serve as the Adjutant General of Kansas. The vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of Adjutant General Michael Venerdi.
“I am confident that Brigadier General Schneider’s expertise and experience will serve Kansans well and continue our state’s legacy of training and supporting our highly skilled servicemembers and their families,” Gov. Kelly noted in a release from the State of Kansas. “I want to thank Major General Venerdi for his leadership as Adjutant General over the last three years. I appreciate his many years of service to Kansas and our nation. I wish him well in his retirement.”
Venerdi was installed as the 38th Kansas adjutant general in a Transfer of Authority ceremony April 1, 2023. He led the more than 7,000 soldiers and airmen of the Kansas Army and Air National Guard and served as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor and Director of Emergency Management for the State of Kansas, according to the State of Kansas release
Schneider currently serves as the Director of the Joint Staff for the Kansas National Guard, and he was appointed to that position on April 15, 2023. He has a long background of military service, according to the State of Kansas release
“Brigadier General Schneider’s service includes serving as the Kansas Army National Guard’s Director of Personnel/G1 and as Chief of Staff for the Kansas Army National Guard,” the State of Kansas release noted. “He is highly decorated, having earned numerous awards during his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Spartan Shield, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and more.”
Schneider will immediately serve in acting status until he is confirmed by the Kansas Senate.
