David C. Toland (born May 27, 1977) is an American politician and businessman concurrently serving as the 52nd

lieutenant governor of Kansas The lieutenant governor of Kansas is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of Kansas state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the off ...

and Kansas secretary of commerce.

Early life and education

A seventh-generation

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

native, Toland was raised in

Iola, Kansas Iola () is the county seat of Allen County, Kansas, United States. The city is situated along the Neosho River in southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn. History ...

. Toland earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and

Master of Public Administration The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...

from the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

Career

Toland had previously worked for the

Government of the District of Columbia The District of Columbia has a mayor–council government that operates under Article One of the United States Constitution and the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The Home Rule Act devolves certain powers of the United States Congress to ...

in the Office of Planning and Economic Development, a real estate services company, and most recently served as President and CEO of a community health-improvement and economic development organization based in Iola, Kansas.

Kansas secretary of commerce

On January 11, 2019, Governor Laura Kelly announced that she would appoint Toland as Kansas Secretary of Commerce following her inauguration on January 14, 2019. Toland was confirmed to the position by the

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...

on April 1, 2019, by a vote of 23–14. He received support from all 11 Democratic senators, 11 Republicans, and the Senate's lone independent. Following his confirmation, Toland oversaw the reestablishment of the state's International Division at the Department. Toland also assisted in negotiations with the state of Missouri to end the incentives "Border War" in the bi-state Kansas City region. Toland also oversaw the restoration of the Kansas Main Street Program at the Department's newly established Community Development division. Throughout 2020, Toland and the Department of Commerce worked on the expansion of a Schwan's Company facility in Salina, the successful recruitment of a $400 million Urban Outfitters distribution center in

Wyandotte County Wyandotte County (; county code WY) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,245, making it Kansas's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City, with which ...

, and two new Amazon distribution centers in

Park City Park City may refer to: a city in Utah. Places * National Park City, London, England, UK; see parks and open spaces in London in the United States * Park City, Illinois * Park City, Kansas * Park City, Kentucky * Park City, Montana * Park City, ...

and

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

. In 2020, the Department of Commerce's economic development teams recruited more than $2.5 billion in capital investment, the highest level of new capital investment in the state's history. Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine's Gold Shovel Award, as well as being declared the state with the best business climate in the West North Central United States by Site Selection Magazine.

Lieutenant governor of Kansas

On December 14, 2020, Governor Laura Kelly announced that Toland would serve as the

after

Lynn Rogers Lynn Leroy Rogers (born 1939) is an American biologist who studies wild black bears and is known as the ''Jane Goodall of bears''. He is the founder of the North American Bear Center. He teaches a yearly black bear field study course for the W ...

assumed the office as

Treasurer of Kansas The State Treasurer of Kansas is the chief custodian of Kansas’s cash deposits, monies from bond sales, and other securities and collateral and directs the investments of those assets. The Treasurer provides for the safe and efficient operation ...

on January 2, 2021. Toland continues to serve as Secretary of Commerce and as lieutenant governor.

Personal life

Toland and his wife have two children.

References

External links

Government website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toland, David 1970s births Living people 21st-century American politicians Kansas Democrats Lieutenant Governors of Kansas People from Iola, Kansas State cabinet secretaries of Kansas University of Kansas alumni Year of birth missing (living people)