Gary Toebben Obituary

Gary L. Toebben of Pasadena, California, passed away at the age of 74 on August 16, 2022, after a 2-year battle with bone and bladder cancer. He is survived by his wife, Janice; 4 children, Andrew Toebben (Julia), Seth Toebben, Devon Haase Kim (Tony), and Wyatt Haase (Ann); nine grandchildren, Jonah Kim, Emeth Toebben, Josie Kim, Matthias Toebben, Fyodor Toebben, Sawyer Haase, Becket Toebben, Teo Toebben, and Kai Toebben. He also leaves two sisters, Beverly Toebben, Sue Wolfe (Dan) and a brother-in-law, Mark Burquest (Wanda).

Gary was born to Kenneth and Loraine Toebben on March 4, 1948, in Fremont, Nebraska. He grew up on a farm in eastern Nebraska and attended St. Paul's Lutheran School, graduated high school from Arlington High School in Arlington, Nebraska, received a B.S. in Mathematics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1970, and an Honorary Doctor of Business from Pepperdine University in 2018.

Gary retired in 2018 from the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, after a 43-year career as a chamber of commerce executive in four communities. He was recognized in those communities for his leadership in economic development, access to quality education, infrastructure investments and legislative reforms. In 2003, he was elected by his peers to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

He began his Chamber career in 1975 at the North Platte, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, served as President of the Lawrence, Kansas Chamber of Commerce from 1981 to 1999, served as President of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2006, and from 2006 until his retirement in 2018 served as the President of the LA Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to entering the chamber of commerce profession, Gary was Director of Facilities Development for the Tourism Division of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and a math teacher in Lincoln.

Education and workforce development were a priority for Gary in each of the chambers of commerce he led. In Lawrence, Kansas, his biggest initiatives were: Founding Douglas Country Development Inc. (DCDI), the first public/private economic development partnership between the Chamber, the City of Lawrence, Douglas County and the University of Kansas, Promoting the construction of the South Lawrence Trafficway and leading the community ballot initiative that secured public support for the project, Initiating and promoting the "4 for 1" community ballot to pass a one cent sales tax to build a new community recreation center, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, a new county jail and a reduction in property taxes equal to the property tax increase necessary to fund the construction of a second high school, Leading the successful promotional campaign to build Free State High School, Rallying business and public support for the construction of the new terminal building at the Lawrence Municipal Airport, and Founding Leadership Lawrence with the support of Leadership Kansas alumni from Lawrence.

In Northern Kentucky, Gary started the Chamber's Education and Workforce Development Department to support more funding for public education and to initiate a collaborative effort between business and schools to provide career education opportunities for students who did not wish to pursue a four-year college education. He helped to bring state funds for major projects at Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community & Technical College.

At the Los Angeles Chamber, Gary championed the development of the largest and most comprehensive education and workforce development program of any chamber of commerce in the nation, with a staff of 30 and total budget of nearly $5 million. Gary was a leader in Transforming Mobility 21 from an LA County organization, founded in 2002, into a regional organization in 2008. He also served as chairman of the seven-county coalition. Gary and the LA Chamber were key leaders in two successful Los Angeles County transportation measures: Measure R in 2008 and Measure M in 2016. He created a national coalition of chambers of commerce in support of including America Fast Forward in the 2012 Federal Surface Transportation Bill and was a strong proponent of SB1 to generate $5 billion per year in new revenue for California transportation projects. During Gary's tenure, the LA Chamber championed hundreds of projects to build the physical and human infrastructure of Los Angeles County. In the last two years alone, they led the charge on four local ballot initiatives to generate $150 billion in investments for transportation, services and housing for the homeless, and improved facilities for the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District.

Gary was elected and appointed to dozens of state and local leadership positions in the four communities and four states in which he served.

He has been described as a true servant leader. He never saw obstacles; he only saw opportunities. Gary's impact on his family, his colleagues, his communities and the businesses within them will be remembered long after his death.

A memorial service celebrating Gary's life will be on September 8, 2022, at 11AM at Plymouth Church, Lawrence, Kansas.

Checks may be made out to the Memorials as directed below:

Visiting Nurses Association – Hospice Care in Lawrence, Kansas,

Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment, Lawrence, Kansas,

Gary Toebben Memorial Fund with the FarmHouse Foundation,

or Unite LA – Gary Toebben Scholarship Fund - UNITE-LA

Memorial contributions may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.