Paul Hughes is the Deputy Secretary for Business Development. In this role, Paul directs efforts to drive the growth of existing businesses in Kansas and recruit new businesses into the state, with oversight of the Business, Community and International development divisions at the Department of Commerce. 

Paul previously served as the Executive Vice President at the Arizona Commerce Authority and oversaw Arizona’s business development team including workforce development, business attraction, international trade, and rural markets. Paul also has experience in the start-up world having developed a seed-company into a high-growth, publicly traded company.  He holds an MBA from Arizona State University and an Entrepreneurial Development Program certificate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. He also is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.