MA Gov Charlie Baker to be Next President of NCAA
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will be the next President of the NCAA, the organization announced on Thursday.
Baker will take over starting in March of 2023.
“The NCAA is confronting complex and significant challenges, but I am excited to get to work as the awesome opportunity college athletics provides to so many students is more than worth the challenge. And for the fans that faithfully fill stadiums, stands and gyms from coast to coast, I am eager to ensure the competitions we all love to follow are there for generations to come. Over the coming months, I will begin working with student-athletes and NCAA members as we modernize college sports to suit today’s world, while preserving its essential value,” said Baker in a statement.
Governor Baker succeeds Dr. Mark Emmert.
Dr. Emmert will continue to serve the NCAA as a consultant through June 2023.
About Baker
Baker is currently the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Republican Governor serving a predominantly Democratic state, Governor Baker was re-elected to a second term in 2018 with 67 percent of the vote. After eight years in office, he has achieved approval ratings exceeding 75 percent, making him the highest-rated governor in the United States and one of the highest-rated elected representatives in the nation. As Governor, Baker oversees a 43,000-member workforce and is responsible for a $50 billion annual budget.
Prior to his tenure as Governor, Charlie Baker had a career in both business, non-profit, and government administration. Immediately prior to being elected Governor, he served as Executive in Residence at General Catalyst Partners, where he served as an advisor to a variety of companies working on “Responsible Innovations”. In particular, he co-led the development and launch of Oscar Health, now a personalized health insurance company operating in several states with a $6B valuation.
Earlier in his career, Governor Baker served as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a non-profit health benefits provider. Under Governor Baker’s leadership, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care went from the verge of bankruptcy to 24 consecutive profitable quarters and a reputation as one of America’s top healthcare plans. Prior to this, Governor Baker served in a variety of leadership roles in Massachusetts state government, including as Secretary of Administration and Finance, and as Secretary of Health and Human Services. In that role, he led the state’s efforts to turn a billion-dollar budget deficit into a surplus and reform the K-12 education system which today leads the nation in student performance. Early in his career, Governor Baker ran a state policy think tank focused on innovations for improving health care.
Charlie Baker is a graduate of Harvard, where he was a member of the men’s varsity basketball team, and holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is married to Lauren Baker, a former collegiate gymnast at Northwestern University, and father to three children (two of whom are former college athletes): Charlie, AJ, and Caroline.