C. David Baker

Carl David Baker (born February 16, 1953) is the President and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.[4]

C. David Baker
President & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2014
Preceded by	Stephen Perry
Commissioner of the Arena Football League
In office 1997–2008
Preceded by	Jim Drucker
Succeeded by	Ed Policy
Mayor of Irvine, California
In office July 9, 1985 – July 8, 1986
Preceded by	David Sills
Succeeded by	Larry Agran
Member of the Irvine City Council
In office 1984–1988
Personal details
Born	Carl David Baker[1] (1953-02-16) February 16, 1953[2] Los Angeles County, California, U.S.[2]
Political party	Republican
Education	University of California, Irvine (B.A.) Pepperdine University (J.D.)
[3]

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Criticism from the University of California at Irvine and his Juris Doctor from the Pepperdine School of Law during which time he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Pepperdine Law Review.[4]

In his first three years of leadership at the Hall, the organization's net assets grew 161%.[5] He was also instrumental in the inception of Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, a nearly $800 million mixed-use development surrounding the Hall of Fame now led by Hall of Fame Village CEO Michael Crawford.[6][7][8]

Baker left his early political career after being convicted of forgery in California and became the fourth commissioner of the Arena Football League (AFL). He started in the league as the owner of the Anaheim Piranhas, which he left after a single season of owning the team to become commissioner.[9] One of his more imposing features is his size – 6 feet 9 inches tall and 400 pounds.[10] He was a power forward at UC-Irvine from 1971–75 and played two seasons of professional basketball in Europe. Later, Baker attended Pepperdine University School of Law where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. He was a City Councilman of Irvine, California.[11] Baker resigned as Arena Football League Commissioner at ArenaBowl XXII, on July 25, 2008 after 11.5 years as commissioner of the AFL.[12]

He was Managing Partner from 2009 to 2014 for Union Village,[13] an integrated health care village in Henderson, Nevada.[4]

On January 2, 2014, he was announced as the President of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[14]

On November 28, 2017, Baker received the March of Dimes Sports Leadership Award.[15]