Distinguished Alumna Named

The USD 373 Education Endowment selected Laura Ice as one of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni award recipients. This award recognizes outstanding alumni who have distinguished themselves in a significant way since graduating from high school. Recipients are honored this week and added to a plaque on the wall inside Newton High School.

Laura Ice (1976) has built an exceptional legal and corporate career. After earning her education degree from the University of Kansas and briefly teaching English at NHS, Laura followed her passion for law, graduating from Washburn University School of Law in 1984. She became a partner at the Adams Jones Law Firm in Wichita before transitioning to Textron Financial Corporation in 1997, where she rose to Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In that role, she oversaw complex international finance transactions, helping expand Textron’s global reach. Laura’s professional excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Kansas Bar Association Professionalism Award, the Wichita Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kansas Bar Association President, and her current role as Immediate Past President of the Kansas Bar Association. A role model of integrity, leadership, and service, Laura credits her success to the strong foundation she received from Newton Public Schools and continues to champion public education as a cornerstone of opportunity.