David Baker Receives Contract Extension

David Baker has received a five-year extension to serve as the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s President & CEO. He will also assume the role of Chairman of Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, an $889 million mixed-use development project underway around the Hall of Fame’s campus.

“First, we are thrilled to have David Baker continue to lead the Pro Football Hall of Fame into the future. His vision, determination and leadership have transformed the Hall and its brand since he arrived in Canton,” commented Pro Football Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Randy Hunt. “In addition, having David serve as the Chairman of Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village will hopefully ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime project will become as great as envisioned.”

Baker will lead the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village Board of Directors as chairman. Other members of the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village board are: Michael Klein, Managing Partner, M. Klein & Company; Stuart Lichter, President and Chairman of the Board, Industrial Realty Group; Hunt, Chairman of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees; Mark Klein, Managing Member, M. Klein & Company; John Mase, Chief Executive Officer, Member of Board of Directors & General Counsel, Industrial Realty Group; and Lisa Roy, Vice President – Commercial Operations, Johnson Controls. An executive committee is comprised of Baker, Michael Klein, Lichter and recently named Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village CEO Mike Crawford.

Baker stated, “I am humbled by the confidence that the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village Boards have placed in me. Great progress has been made and I know that the very best is still ahead. The future presents even greater opportunity to make an impact that will change the game, the region and the country forever.”

Baker, who joined the Hall of Fame in 2014, has dramatically expanded the Hall of Fame’s brand by focusing on the organization’s powerful Mission to “Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.”

“David has made a profound impact on raising the profile of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” shared Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin. “His leadership has created a platform for me and other Hall of Famers to use this game as a way to inspire others. I am delighted that he will continue for the next five years to make the exciting vision of what is happening in Canton a reality.”

Under Baker’s guidance, the Hall of Fame has greatly expanded programming across the country and the world; experienced increased television ratings; received broader exposure of the Hall’s Mission, Values and Vision; and recorded the greatest financial results in the organization’s history. The Hall of Fame has more than doubled its net assets since Baker arrived. With Baker at the helm, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been named the top tourist attraction in Ohio, the best sports attraction in the United States, and earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums.

He has also led the vision and development of Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village that will result in the first-ever sports and entertainment “smart city.” Currently, two new components are operating. The world-class Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was labeled among “13 NFL Game-Changing Stadiums” by Forbes. The National Youth Football & Sports Complex has four fields, with two under construction and two more slated for the future. Over the first two years, the state-of-art complex has hosted more than 300,000 athletes, family and fans of which 70 percent traveled from outside the state of Ohio.

Baker has received numerous accolades for his role as a passionate leader who has inspired exponential growth in the individuals at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village. He was bestowed the prestigious March of Dimes Sports Leadership Award for 2017 and joined a long list of distinguished winners of the award that includes former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, NBA Commissioner David Stern, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

An attorney by trade, Baker is the former Commissioner of the Arena Football League; Mayor of Irvine, California; and Managing Partner for Union Village, the first integrated health village that is located in Henderson, Nevada.