Portland Public Schools Announces Retirement of Athletic Director Kevin Veale

Portland Public Schools announces the retirement of Kevin Veale, Extracurricular Activities Coordinator/Athletic Director, effective July 1, 2026, following 28 years of dedicated service to the district.

Veale served 26 years as Athletic Director and began his career in education as a teacher and coach, including two years with Portland Public Schools. Over nearly three decades, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the district’s extracurricular and athletic landscape.

Each year, Portland High School has averaged approximately 375 student-athletes participating in athletics, along with an additional 200 students involved in extracurricular activities. This level of engagement reflects Veale’s commitment to ensuring students have meaningful opportunities to participate, compete, and grow beyond the classroom.

Under Veale’s leadership, Portland significantly expanded student opportunities, including the addition and growth of programs such as Robotics, eSports, Bowling, Girls Wrestling, BIONIC, YAC, and a variety of middle school extracurricular offerings. He also established the Elite Captains Club, reinforcing leadership development among student-athletes and helping shape a strong culture of teamwork and pride.

His tenure is marked by exceptional achievement. Portland hosted more than 100 MHSAA tournaments, celebrated 12 individual state champions, and saw over 100 individual school records broken. District teams earned 123 league championships, 57 district titles, and 27 regional titles, along with 58 finals appearances and 10 Final Four appearances. These accomplishments including a State Championship in Football (2012) and a State Championship in Girls Basketball (2021).

Veale’s leadership and contributions have been recognized statewide. He was named Regional Athletic Director of the Year in 2010 and received the prestigious MHSAA Allen W. Bush Award in 2019. The Allen W. Bush Award is among the highest honors presented by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity, and service to interscholastic athletics while making a lasting impact on student-athletes and educational-based programs.

Superintendent Will Heath shared, “You cannot overestimate the impact that Kevin Veale has had on Portland Public Schools. For nearly three decades, he helped build opportunities for students to compete, lead, and represent Portland with PRIDE. A lot of what people now think of as a Raider tradition has Kevin’s fingerprints on it. In his time at Portland he has built numerous relationships with other schools and programs and has become a staple in the Lansing-area high school sports community.”

Heath added, “The championships are impressive, but what stands out even more is how many students found their place through athletics and activities because those opportunities existed. Kevin helped make that possible for generations of Raiders. Kevin has always shown what it means to believe that it is ‘a great day to be a Raider’.”