TOPEKA ? David Toland was among friends and family Monday afternoon as he was officially sworn in Secretary of Commerce in the rotunda of the State Capitol.
More than 30 residents from across Allen County attended the ceremony, including his parents, Nancy and Clyde Toland, his wife, Beth, and children Caroline and William.
Toland is the first person from Allen County to serve in a Kansas governor?s cabinet. In a brief interview Monday, Toland said the opportunity to serve on a statewide level ?is a tremendous honor.?
Toland was CEO of Thrive Allen County for 10 years and was instrumental in it gaining national recognition when it was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health award in 2017.
In her comments introducing Toland, Gov. Laura Kelly said, ?Much of the work that David did with Thrive Allen County can be tailored and shared with other communities, large and small across the state. And when you combine that experience with the fact that he is a seventh-generation Iolan, it is clear that David is uniquely qualified to bring innovative strategies to rural Kansas.
?No one works harder, or has more energy, than David, and we?re lucky to have him.?
Seated with Kansas Secretary of Commerce David Toland at his swearing-in ceremony Monday in Topeka are his family members, from left, parents Clyde and Nancy Toland, daughter Caroline, wife Beth and son William.
AS COMMERCE Secretary, Toland?s responsibilities include bringing more economic opportunities to the state as well as representing Kansas to the world as a good place to do business.
Toland said the department has a lot of ground to make up after ?years of decimation.? In the last five years, the department?s budget has been cut by 40 percent forcing positions to be eliminated, diminishing the department?s reach and effectiveness.
Most critical was a lack of leadership, Toland said. During the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback the department ?suffered from a revolving door of leadership,? including three interim secretaries in four years.
?We won?t be able to turn things around overnight,? he said. ?It?s going to take awhile to communicate to businesses, we are back in the game. After all these years of diminished capacity, people have lowered their expectations of what the Department of Commerce can do.
I?m here to try to rebuild this agency. That?s the governor?s mandate. She?s made clear that?s her expectation.?
THE BIGGEST problem facing Toland is a job market with 50,000 vacancies.
?We hear loud and clear that businesses are struggling because of the lack of skilled workers,? he said. ?And that skilled workforce is the key to growing the state?s economy.?
