Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Monroe native and former City of Monroe, Louisiana Planning and Urban Development Director, Grambling State University, and Mary Holmes college financial and North Delta Regional Planning, Employee Officer. Kenneth (Ken) Newman has gone home to be with God, after completing his service to God and his fellow man/woman here on earth. Ken will be missed by his family, friends, church family and classmates, but never forgotten. Ken died on August 30, 2020. His grave side services will be held at 11:00 A.M. at Magnolia Gardens in Monroe, LA. I first met Ken as a student at Grambling State University while checking on the status of my financial aid (grant) during my enrollment as a freshman and 1967/68 school year. I had no idea that some decade or more later, we would meet again as employees of the City of Monroe in 1979. In 1979 the City of Monroe transitioned from a mayor/ commissioner, to a mayor/council form of government. Former Monroe Mayor, the late Robert E. Powell, was the first elected mayor under Monroe’s new form of government and hired Ken Newman as the first black Department of Planning and Urban Development Director. As director of PUD, Kim administered tens of millions of dollars received from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the City of Monroe, and spent these funds as required throughout the low/moderate income neighborhoods of south Monroe council districts 3, 4, and 5, for housing rehabilitation, demolition, demolition grants, and slum blight clearance, Minority business contracting and participation, Street overlays and repairs, bridge construction, drainage, sewer, pump station, recreational, educational, economic and industrial park improvements and development, OMCAP, OIC, and other nonprofit assistance, parking lots, street widening, parks and playgrounds, new housing and related developments. Ken was responsible for my hire as an EEO/ Labor Compliance Director for the City of Monroe. He was more than my boss, he later became my good friend, which lasted to the current date. Thanks for everything Ken. May God bless you forever