After graduating from Shawnee Mission West High School in 1987, he attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he majored in philosophy and anthropology.

[2] During seminary, he worked as a counselor with youth facing challenges with abuse, neglect, and addiction issues in both intensive outpatient and residential settings.

[1] His first foray into elected office came when he served on the Unified Government Board of Commissioners of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, At-Large District 1 seat.

"[5] In his effort to better the health outcomes for KCK residents, Holland lobbied then Governor Brownback to accept Medicaid expansion, as allowed by the Affordable Care Act.

[6] To improve the downtown KCK area, Holland unveiled The Healthy Campus project as a top initiative for his first term in a State of the Government address in 2014.

The project envisioned bringing quality grocery stores to areas in need of access to better food choices, and offering amenities, such as greenhouses and gardens with edible fruit trees, and facilities, like a community center with Olympic-size pool for youth swim meets, that were accessible to all.

[11] A week later, Amazon broke ground on a 855,000-plus-square-foot fulfillment center that would pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and toys.

[12] In 2016, a consultant study, commissioned by Holland, found concerns with the fire department's shift allocation and overtime budget.

[2] On October 1, 2021, Holland announced he would be vying for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Kansas.