In this episode of Coffee Talk with Bryan & Marie, we sit down with Kayle Smith — a Marine‑turned‑Soldier who retired from the U.S. Army in October 2019 and has since dedicated his second career to strengthening the lives of Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF).
Kayle currently serves as the Prevention and Resiliency Program Manager for the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA). His work focuses on statewide resilience initiatives, lethal means safety, and suicide prevention efforts aimed at protecting Utah’s military‑connected community. Before joining UDVMA, Kayle led the Military Affiliated Student Hub (MASH) at Utah Valley University, helping Veterans and military‑connected students navigate Education, benefits, and transition.
He is an active member of the Utah Governor’s Challenge Team and serves on the Lethal Means Prevention workgroup of the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition and Committee (USPCC). Kayle’s mission is simple but powerful: equip every Service Member, Veteran, and Family with the resources they need — and ultimately “work himself out of a job” by helping create a future with zero Veteran suicides.
Join us for a meaningful, grounded conversation about service, purpose, transition, and the work being done to protect those who protect us.
