David Toland

David C. Toland is an American government official currently serving on the Kansas State Cabinet as the Kansas Secretary of Commerce.[1] Prior to his appointment to the position by Governor Laura Kelly, Toland served as President and CEO of the Thrive Allen County, a community health-improvement and economic development organization based in Iola, Kansas.[2]

David Toland
Kansas Secretary of Commerce
Assumed office
January 14, 2019
GovernorLaura Kelly
Personal details
EducationUniversity of Kansas (BA, MPA)

Career

Following his graduation from the University of Kansas with a B.A. and an M.P.A., Toland joined the Government of the District of Columbia in the office of Planning and Economic Development, where he served as Deputy COO.[2] After a brief stint with The Minkiti Group, a real estate services company, Toland joined Thrive Allen County as President and CEO.[3]

Toland also previously worked in city management in Reno, Nevada and Bonner Springs, Kansas.[1]

Kansas Secretary of Commerce

On January 11, 2019, Kelly announced that she would appoint Toland as Kansas Secretary of Commerce following her inauguration on January 14, 2019.

Anti-abortion activists attempted to prevent Toland's confirmation due to what they perceived as ties to George Tiller, an assassinated abortion provider from Wichita, Kansas who was killed while ushering in his church in 2009 by anti-abortion extremist Scott Roeder. Supporters of Toland noted that the only tie between the two is a small grant that Thrive Allen County obtained from a memorial fund posthumously established in Tiller's name and that Toland's position as Secretary of Commerce would have nothing to do with healthcare services or abortion.[2] The grants in question had been made to assist pregnant women to stop smoking and to provide contraceptive services to low-income women intending to postpone or avoid becoming pregnant. In a hearing by the Commerce Committee held on March 20-21, 2019, Toland expansively answered probing questions from anti-abortion Senators Mary Pilcher-Cook, who is considered one of the most vocal opponents of abortion in the Kansas legislature,[4] as well as Molly Baumgardner, about Toland's neighborhood improvement activities in the District of Columbia prior to his return to Kansas. The committee rejected his appointment by a vote of 6-5, sending the nomination to the full senate.[5] Despite personal attacks leveled by conservatives and criticism of health grants from the fund established posthumously and named after Tiller, Toland was confirmed to the position by the Kansas Senate 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. Toland survived an effort by the Kansas Republican Party, Kansans for Life, the Koch Industries-funded Americans for Prosperity and others, to derail his nomination.[6][7]

References
  1. "Executive Leadership". kansascommerce.gov. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. "Local Spat And Party Politics Threaten Kansas Governor's Pick To Head Commerce". kcur.org. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. "Kansas Republicans grill David Toland on business dealings, social media post". cjonline.com. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. Kansas lawmaker wants to make surrogate motherhood illegal, Washington Post, January 29, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  5. Panel rejects Toland nomination, Iola Register, Richard Luken, March 21, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  6. "David Toland confirmation hearing before Kansas Senate panel devolves into bitterness". cjonline.com. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  7. Kansas Senate approves controversial nominee to lead Commerce Department, Capital Journal, April 1, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
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