June 13, 2019

From Dr. David B. Baker, Margaret Clark Morgan Executive Director:

With the build out of the 3rd and 4th floors, the final renovations to the Cummings Center are complete. We are receiving more visibility and support and welcoming a record number of visitors. With all the progress we have made, the future looks bright. It is against this backdrop that I wanted to let you know that I will leave the university in June of 2020. I have done what I came here to do and my departure has been hastened by an attractive buyout option the university announced earlier this year. I will continue to work full time next year which will provide a nice window for succession planning. You can be assured that everything that has been done to get us to this point will continue and that we will have the leadership that is required to take us forward.

Through a collective effort, much has been accomplished over the last 20 years.  I plan to give myself some time to unwind and then will likely begin to pick up some consulting. My career has provided abundant opportunities in mental health, higher education, and the arts, and there are any number of places I can apply lessons learned. This day was bound to come and now that it is here, I am experiencing a number of emotions. For me, it's about the journey and I am grateful that so many of you have been a part of it.