Liderazgo

Special Assistant

Kelsey currently serves as Special Assistant, providing strategic support for the Lt. Governor & Secretary of Commerce.

Prior, Kelsey served as the Operations and Logistics Coordinator for two years within the Department of Commerce before being promoted. Kelsey holds a master’s degree in Public Administration with a certificate in Economic Development from Wichita State University.

Executive Director of Broadband Development

Bill Abston serves as the Executive Director of Kansas Office of Broadband Development. He will oversee the state’s broadband initiatives that are expanding high-speed internet access across Kansas. Abston has more than three decades experience working on large-scale infrastructure projects, including fiber optic network development and utility construction. Abston has proven expertise driving revenue growth, delivering projects on time and within budget, and leading cross-functional teams. He is adept at fostering public-private partnerships, optimizing processes, and aligning organizational objectives with project outcomes. Abston has served as Principal at BBS Consulting, LLC in Tennessee; CEO of Hoosier Networks in Indiana, and President of OPALO, SAS in the Dominican Republic. He is a graduate of Northeast State Community College in Tennessee with an AAS degree in Design Drafting.

[email protected]
(785) 296-9941

Executive Assistant

Leisa trabaja en Commerce desde 2019 y supervisa la programación y las funciones administrativas del vicegobernador y secretario de Commerce, Toland. Antes de unirse a Commerce, ocupó varios puestos administrativos en importantes empleadores de Topeka, incluidos Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas y Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center. También cuenta con varios años de experiencia administrativa a nivel ejecutivo en una empresa de gestión de asociaciones/lobbying y, justo antes de incorporarse a Commerce, en Topeka Metro. Leisa estudió Administración de Empresas en la Universidad de Washburn y es una orgullosa habitante de Kansas de toda la vida.

Deputy Chief of Staff

Ryan Wills is Deputy Chief of Staff at the Kansas Department of Commerce. Wills previously served as Special Assistant to Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce, Manager of Constituent Services and Hospitality Industry Liaison. He was also a project coordinator on the Back to Business Team where he helped with the administration of Small Business Working Capital Grants. Previous to Commerce, Wills held various management roles within the hospitality, restaurant and music industries..

Director de Información

Jim Haugh se incorporó a Commerce en diciembre de 2016 como Director de Información. Antes de Commerce, Haugh fue arquitecto de servicios en la nube para el estado de Kansas.

Haugh pasó más de siete años en el Departamento de Transportes de Kansas, donde empezó como analista de software de sistemas y dejó el KDOT como supervisor de soporte de plataformas empresariales. En 1992, Haugh se licenció en Sistemas Informáticos por la Missouri Western University.

Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer

Romaine Redman serves as the Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer for the Kansas Department of Commerce. He oversees the alignment of the Office of Innovation’s initiatives with the state’s broader economic goals, drawing upon his expertise and partnerships with key stakeholders to ensure the department plays a vital role in creating a prosperous future for Kansas. He is helping create an agile and forward-looking economy where innovators and innovative businesses can flourish in the Sunflower State

Redman is a Certified Economic Developer and innovation ecosystem builder with a proven track record in fostering innovation ecosystems, driving transformative economic development, and cultivating collaborative partnerships. He has a master’s degree in Economic Development and Innovation, along with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science.

Director de Turismo

Bridgette Jobe is the Director of the Kansas Tourism Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce where she leads a dedicated staff of tourism professionals whose mission is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas. As Director, she oversees the state’s marketing to visitors, the publication of KANSAS! Magazine, the Kansas Agritourism program, and the Kansas Byways program. 

Bridgette joined Kansas Tourism in 2019.  Previously, she spent over twenty-one years with the Kansas City Kansas Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is a past president of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas and served as chairman of the Kansas Governor’s Council on Travel and Tourism.  Bridgette is a life-long Kansan and an Original Dotte. 

Director of Kansas Arts Commission

Curtis Young serves as Director of the Kansas state arts agency, the Kansas Arts Commission. He leads a team dedicated to supporting, promoting and expanding the role arts and culture play in education, workforce development and community well-being in our state. Prior to joining Commerce, he spent nine years with Florida’s state arts agency, the Florida Division of Arts & Culture. A practicing theatre artist, Curtis holds a B.F.A. in Performance from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in Directing from Florida State University.

Director of International Division

Laura Lombard is the Director of the International Division for the Department of Commerce. The mission of the International Division is to expand Kansas’ exports and attract foreign direct investment to the state.

She was previously the President & CEO of Kansas Global Trade Services. Laura participated on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC-9) on Small, Minority, and Women-Led Businesses. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the Mid-America District Export Council. Laura graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with a master’s degree in international relations and economics. She also has a B.A. in political science and international studies from the University of Kansas.

Subsecretario de Desarrollo Empresarial

Joshua Jefferson serves as the Deputy Secretary of Business Development for the Kansas Department of Commerce, where he leads statewide efforts to attract, retain and expand businesses while advancing strategic economic initiatives that promote long-term prosperity. He oversees a high-performing division focused on driving private-sector capital investment, creating quality jobs and fostering a business-friendly climate across Kansas.

With over 17 years of experience in economic development, commercial real estate, aviation management and workforce development, Jefferson has established himself as a transformative leader in both the public and private sectors. He has played a pivotal role in securing landmark projects such as Gulfstream Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, Merck and Fiserv. Prior to his role in Kansas, Jefferson was instrumental in attracting major aerospace investments to the Greater Phoenix region, including Virgin Galactic’s Delta Class spacecraft facility and Gulfstream’s West Coast Service Center.

Jefferson’s leadership spans diverse and high-growth sectors, including aviation, advanced manufacturing, financial technology and logistics. His strategic oversight has helped position Kansas as a national hub for innovation and industry leadership. Known for his expertise in site selection, incentive structuring and transformational project delivery, he is a trusted advisor to businesses, policymakers and community organizations alike.

In recognition of his impact, Jefferson was named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect in 2025. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Real Estate Planning from Arizona State University and remains committed to strengthening Kansas’s economy through proactive, inclusive and forward-thinking development strategies.

Director of Office of Rural Prosperity

Trisha se incorporó a Commerce en 2021 como Directora de la Oficina de Prosperidad Rural. Anteriormente, Trisha desempeñó funciones de liderazgo en el desarrollo económico rural, tanto a nivel de ciudad como de condado, durante más de una década.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare, focusing on public policy, from the University of Kansas (KU). She also earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from KU, concentrating on local government management as a part of the Kansas University City Managers and Trainees Alumni Organization program.  A native of Kansas, she grew up in the small town of Kiowa.

Subsecretario de Comercio

Mike Beene trabaja como Subsecretario de Comercio, supervisando los Servicios de Mano de Obra, Recursos Humanos, Servicios de Construcción y Workforce AID para el Departamento de Comercio de Kansas. Beene empezó a trabajar en la agencia en enero de 2007 como Director Regional en el sureste de Kansas (División de Servicios de Mano de Obra). Sus funciones incluyen la supervisión de todos los programas y subvenciones federales de mano de obra, además de los 23 centros de mano de obra ubicados en todo el estado.

Beene received a Master’s degree in Education from Kansas State University. Prior to his career with the Department of Commerce, he was an educator and administrator in both secondary and postsecondary institutions in Kansas.

Vicegobernador y Secretario de Comercio

David Toland es el 52^nd Vicegobernadora del Estado de Kansas y también es Secretaria del Departamento de Comercio de Kansas. Toland, que pertenece a la séptima generación de habitantes de Kansas, fue nombrada Secretaria de Comercio por la Gobernadora Laura Kelly en enero de 2019 y Vicegobernadora en enero de 2021.

As Secretary of Commerce Toland has led Governor Kelly’s efforts to transform the state’s economy, directing a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Kansas Department of Commerce. His efforts at Commerce have included rebuilding its in-state, domestic and international business recruitment teams; launching the state’s Office of Broadband Development; re-establishing the Kansas Main Street Program; revitalizing the state’s Registered Apprenticeship program; designing and implementing the Kansas Framework for Growth strategic plan; and shepherding passage of the APEX Megaproject Bill, which gives Kansas one of the most aggressive economic development incentives in the country. Toland also led Governor Kelly’s successful recruitment of the largest private sector investment in Kansas history, Panasonic Energy’s $4 billion Electric Vehicle Battery plant in De Soto.

These efforts have resulted in back-to-back record-breaking years for Kansas economic growth—including 2021, when Kansas had the most private sector investment of any state in the nation on a per capita basis.

Toland cuenta con una amplia experiencia en desarrollo económico urbano y rural, habiendo trabajado a nivel local tanto en Washington D.C. como en su ciudad natal, el condado de Allen (Kansas). Es licenciado y máster por la Universidad de Kansas.

Director de Asuntos Legislativos

Rachel Willis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washburn University, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communications. She also received a master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus in non-profit leadership from the University of Kansas. Rachel has over a decade of experience in educational nonprofit management and most recently was a lobbyist advocating for a variety of interests at small public affairs firm in Topeka.  

Chief of Staff

Works earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Kansas State University, majoring in Food Science and Industry with a minor in Business Administration. She also received a master’s degree in Advanced European and International Studies from Centre International de Formation Européenne. Prior to beginning work at the Department of Commerce, Works was an Agribusiness Development Coordinator at the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Director de Marketing y Comunicación

Patrick Lowry se unió al equipo del Departamento de Comercio en junio de 2022. Ayuda a promover lo mejor que Kansas tiene que ofrecer con el fin de atraer a nuevas empresas al estado y retener a las empresas existentes.

A long-time newspaper editor and publisher, Lowry also has led marketing/communications efforts at the Kansas Health Institute and the Community Care Network of Kansas. He earned his bachelor’s in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University and an Executive MBA from Benedictine College.

Subsecretario de Calidad

Matthew Godinez es Subsecretario de Lugares de Calidad del Departamento de Comercio de Kansas. Es responsable de la supervisión, gestión y dirección de las divisiones que incluyen Kansas Main Street, Community Development Block Grants, Housing, The Office of Rural Prosperity y The Office of Broadband Development. Su trabajo consiste en establecer la estrategia para la división de Lugares de Calidad e impulsar mejoras administrativas internas relacionadas con las operaciones de la agencia y garantizar que los programas de Lugares de Calidad estén alineados con el Marco de Crecimiento de Kansas.

Matt se desempeñó anteriormente como Director Ejecutivo de la Autoridad de Desarrollo Regional de Chanute y la Comisión de Planificación Regional del Sudeste de Kansas. Matt ha sido nombrado uno de los 50 mejores desarrolladores económicos de Norteamérica, Top 40 under 40 in Economic Development y Leadership Kansas Class of 2019. En 2022, Matt recibió su designación de Master Economic Development Practitioner de la Universidad del Sur de Mississippi.

Fiscal Jefe

Sherry Rentfro se unió a Commerce en junio de 2014 como Analista Fiscal y se convirtió en la Directora Fiscal en febrero de 2018.

Antes de Commerce, trabajó durante más de 10 años gestionando la contabilidad y las finanzas de una asociación sin ánimo de lucro que sirve a la industria de las telecomunicaciones en Kansas. Es licenciada en Finanzas por la Universidad de Washburn y tiene un MBA por la Universidad de Baker.

Abogado Jefe

Bob North es Consejero Jefe del Departamento de Comercio de Kansas. Bob es responsable de las operaciones del Departamento de Comercio y ha desempeñado este cargo desde 2004. Tiene una amplia experiencia en financiación pública, programas de desarrollo económico financiados con bonos y otros incentivos de desarrollo económico. Antes de incorporarse a Commerce, trabajó en el sector privado.

Director de Recursos Humanos

Sandy Brown se incorporó al Departamento de Comercio en 2004 como profesional de recursos humanos.

Antes de incorporarse a Kansas Commerce, trabajó como profesional de recursos humanos en el Departamento de Recursos Humanos de Kansas. Anteriormente, trabajó como gestora de casos JTPA en Emporia. Estudió empresariales en la Universidad Estatal de Wichita.

Directora de Compromiso con la Comunidad

Kayla Savage es Directora de Participación Comunitaria del Departamento de Comercio de Kansas. Trabaja en nombre del Secretario de Comercio y del Vicegobernador con comunidades de todo Kansas para diversas iniciativas de Comercio. También representa al Secretario en varias juntas y comisiones, como la Autoridad del Agua de Kansas, la Junta de la Feria Estatal de Kansas, el Salón de la Fama Empresarial y la Red de Información de Kansas.

Kayla cuenta con casi 20 años de experiencia en gestión de organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, desarrollo comunitario y administración de servicios públicos. Es licenciada en Comunicación y Relaciones Públicas por la Universidad Estatal de Emporia y tiene un máster en Desarrollo Comunitario por la Universidad Estatal de Kansas.