William Thornton

Who is William Thornton?

William Thornton is an American politician from Kansas who is the Kansas Secretary of Commerce. He was appointed by Governor Mark Parkinson when David Kerr resigned to serve as the Missouri's Director of the Department of Economic Development. As Secretary, Thornton oversees the operations of Kansas Department of Commerce.

Thornton received a bachelor’s degree from Benedictine College and a Juris Doctor from Washburn University’s School of Law. Thornton worked with Hallmark Cards and also as an attorney with Duncan-Senecal Law Offices, Chartered, in Atchison.

Thornton was appointed to the Kansas Board of Regents by former Governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2007, as well as the Kansas Mentor’s Leadership Council and the Kansas Health Care Information Exchange Commission. He was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Kansas Long Range Transportation Plan by Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller.

On October 30, 2009, Thornton was appointed as Kansas Secretary of Commerce by Governor Mark Parkinson.