Newlin retired in March 2020, after almost three decades as Director of Special Services, at a Residential Community Release Program in Newark. The program, which guided residents in the post-incarceration reintegration process, provided education and job training as well as counseling focused on changing criminal and addictive behavior.

 

As Director, he was responsible for all aspects of administration and communication as well as managing a Community Advisory Board, comprised of a network of community partners in the areas of labor, education, human, and social services in order to ensure maximum reentry support. The program provided a blueprint of hope for individuals faced with life's difficult and demanding challenges.

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Prior to working in re-entry support services, Newlin spent close to a decade as a small business owner.

In 1982, with support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Newlin opened a boutique hat and accessories shop, “From the Neck Up,” on Charles Street, in the historic Beacon Hill section of Boston. Two years later, he opened a second location in Harvard Square, and continued as owner/manager of both sites for the rest of the 80s.

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Fluent in retail sales and boutique operations, Newlin went on to become Reebok International’s first Concept Store Manager, responsible for opening and staffing stores in Boston, Santa Monica, and New York City from 1990 to 1995.