By Trish Svoboda

On Monday morning, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland, along with leaders from across Kansas, unveiled the Love, Kansas campaign. The initiative aims to boost the state’s population and workforce by encouraging former residents to return for work and residency.

Lt. Gov. Toland, a seventh-generation Kansan, shared his experience of returning to Kansas, inspired by a phone call from a family friend, during the launch at the Flint Hills Discovery Center.

Love, Kansas highlights the state as an exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family. The campaign will target key U.S. markets, focusing on job opportunities, quality of life, education, and affordable communities.

The first 50 communities to partner with the initiative will receive a $5,000 grant to attract new residents. Nineteen pilot communities and seven universities have already joined, planning events around the campaign theme. The campaign encourages direct outreach to past residents, inviting them to return home