Chris Croft#Awards and decorations
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Chris Croft
|office = Majority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives
|term_start = January 9, 2023
|term_end =
|predecessor = Dan Hawkins
|successor =
|state_house1 = Kansas
|district1 = 8th
|term_start1 = January 14, 2019
|term_end1 =
|predecessor1 = Patty Markley
|successor1 =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|spouse = Connie
|children = 2
|education = University of Florida
Valencia College (AA)
University of Central Florida (BS)
United States Army Command and General Staff College (MA)
|website = {{URL|croftforkansas.com|Campaign website}}
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1988–2018
|rank = Colonel
|commands = 725th Main Support Battalion
101st Sustainment Brigade (Rear)
106th Transportation Battalion
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
|battles = Iraq War
|mawards = See list
}}
Christopher D. Croft Sr. is a retired United States Army colonel and American politician serving as a Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives. He represents District 8, which includes the southwestern portion of the city of Overland Park, Kansas.{{cite web |title=Representative Chris Croft |url=http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/members/rep_croft_chris_1/ |website=Kansas Legislature, 2021-2022 Legislative Sessions |publisher=Kansas Legislative Information System and Services |access-date=21 March 2021}}
Croft is the chair of House Redistricting Committee and the vice chair of the House Insurance and Pensions Committee. Prior to his tenure in the Kansas House of Representatives, he served in the United States Army for thirty years and retired in 2018.{{cite web |title=2018 Candidate Forum - Kansas House District 8 Primary |url=https://vimeo.com/279669890 |website=Vimeo |publisher=Overland Park, Kansas, Chamber of Commerce |access-date=21 March 2021 |format=Video |date=July 11, 2018}}{{cite web |title=State Representative Chris Croft |url=https://www.newpolitics.org/chris-croft |website=New Politics |publisher=New Politics |access-date=23 March 2021}}
Military career
Croft was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating from the University of Central Florida in 1987.{{cite web |title=Leadership Panel Discussion at The Box Gallery – June 22 |url=https://www.cgscfoundation.org/leadership-panel-discussion-at-the-box-gallery-june-22/ |website=Command and General Staff College Foundation, Inc. |publisher=Command and General Staff College Foundation, Inc. |access-date=23 March 2021 |date=June 21, 2017}} His initial assignment was to the 28th Transportation Platoon and the 22nd Area Support group at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. He was then assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where he commanded Delta Company, 725th Main Support Battalion, 25th Infantry Division.
Upon graduating from Command and General Staff College in 2000 and the School of Advanced Military Studies in 2001, Croft served as Chief of Plans and Exercises and as a division transportation officer of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and continued to serve in that role at Tikrit South Air Base, Iraq. Croft then became an operations officer to the 2d Brigade Combat Team in Baqubah, Iraq, and commanded both the 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the 101st Sustainment Brigade (Rear) (Provisional) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and later in Balad, Iraq.
Following these assignments, Croft served as Chief of the Grade Logistics Branch for two years and one year as Chief of the Force Sustainment Division of the United States Army Human Resources Command. From 2013 to 2017, he was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he served as executive director of the Center for Army Leadership. He retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel in January 2018.
Political career
In the 2018 primary elections, Croft defeated incumbent Republican Patty Markley, 57.8% to 42.2%.{{cite web |title=Kansas Secretary of State 2018 Primary Election Official Vote Totals |url=https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/18elec/PrimaryElectionOfficialResults.pdf |website=Kansas Secretary of State |publisher=Kansas Secretary of State}} After the general election later that year, he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives.
In 2020 he was re-elected to the Kansas House of Representatives for a second term.{{cite web |title=Kansas Secretary of State 2020 General Election Official Vote Totals |url=https://sos.ks.gov/elections/20elec/2020_General_Official_Vote_Totals.pdf |website=Kansas Secretary of State |publisher=Kansas Secretary of State}}
During the 2020, legislative session, Croft introduced legislation which would speed up and expand the process of granting occupational licenses to working professionals from other states. The legislation expedites the process of acquiring a Kansas occupational license if an individual holds an equivalent license in another state and seeks to continue their practice in Kansas. This was brought forth in effort to bring more jobs and fill current vacant positions available in Kansas.{{cite web |last1=Wu |first1=Titus |title=Kansas set to significantly expand, speed up out-of-state occupational licensing recognition |url=https://www.cjonline.com/story/business/employment/2021/03/22/kansas-license-out-state-universal-recognition-economic-development-military-spouses-licensing/4769202001/ |website=The Topeka Capital-Journal |date=March 22, 2021}}
Personal life
Croft resides in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife Connie. They have two children and six grandchildren.{{cite web |title=Colonel Croft |url=https://croftforkansas.com/ |website=Chris Croft for Kansas House |publisher=Chris Croft for Kansas |access-date=13 October 2023}}
Awards and decorations
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=80}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=1|ribbon=Bronze Star Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=4|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Humanitarian Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|us-ks-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Dan Hawkins}}
{{s-ttl|title=Majority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives|years=2023–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Kansas statewide political officials}}
{{U.S. State House Floor Leaders}}
{{Kansas House of Representatives}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Chris}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives