Leadership Archives

Sherry Rentfro

Sep 15, 2025

Sherry Rentfro joined Commerce in June of 2014 as Fiscal Analyst and became the Chief Fiscal Officer in February 2018. Prior to Commerce, she worked for over 10 years managing the accounting and finances of a non-profit association that serves the telecommunications industry in Kansas. She earned a BBA in…

Jim Haugh

Sep 15, 2025

Jim Haugh joined Commerce in December of 2016 as the Chief Information Officer. Prior to Commerce, Haugh was a Cloud Services Architect for the State of Kansas. Haugh spent more than seven years at the Kansas Department of Transportation beginning as a System Software Analyst and leaving KDOT as the…

Patrick Lowry

Sep 15, 2025

Patrick Lowry joined the Department of Commerce team in June 2022. He helps promote the best Kansas has to offer with the purpose of enticing new businesses into the state and retaining existing businesses. A long-time newspaper editor and publisher, Lowry also has led marketing/communications efforts at the Kansas Health…

Kelsey Williams

Sep 15, 2025

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…

Abby Works

Sep 15, 2025

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…

Rachel Willis

Sep 15, 2025

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…

Ryan Wills

Sep 15, 2025

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…

Kayla Savage

Sep 15, 2025

Kayla Savage is Director of Community Engagement at the Kansas Department of Commerce. She provides engagement on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce and Lieutenant Governor with communities across Kansas for various Commerce initiatives. She also represents the Secretary on various Boards and Commissions, including the Kansas Water Authority, Kansas…

Sandy Brown

Sep 15, 2025

Sandy Brown joined the Department of Commerce in 2004 as a Human Resource Professional. Before joining Kansas Commerce, she served as a Human Resource Professional with Kansas Department of Human Resources. Previously, she served as JTPA Case Manager in Emporia. She studied business at Wichita State University.

David Toland

Sep 15, 2025

David Toland is the 52nd Lieutenant Governor of the State of Kansas and also serves as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce. A seventh-generation Kansan, Toland was appointed Secretary of Commerce by Governor Laura Kelly in January 2019 and Lieutenant Governor in January 2021. As Secretary of Commerce Toland…