Dave Baker roast is mostly a toast

During a roast, the idea is to poke fun at the person on the hot seat, but when that person is retiring Sussex County Administrator David Baker, many ended up toasting him instead.

“It's easy to say something nice about Dave Baker,” said former county administrator Joe Conaway of Bridgeville. It was Conaway who hired Baker back in 1978 to work in the county's financial department. “Hiring him was one of the best things we ever did.”

“How do you insult someone who is just so nice?” he asked.

Conaway also praised Baker's family. “Without the support of Sandy [his wife] and his family nothing could have happened. Thank you, Sandy, for giving us Dave Baker for 33 years,” he said.

Baker retired Jan. 1 after serving as county administrator for nearly five years and working in the county's financial department for 28 years. He was honored with a Jan. 7 dinner at Heritage Shores in Bridgeville attended by nearly 300 people.

In the crowd were former county council members Lynn Rogers, George Collins and Dale Dukes, as well as the five current council members.

County Council President Mike Vincent, R-Seaford, joked that council had found a loophole in county code that prohibited Baker from retiring until council approved the action. “I can't get three votes for that to happen,” he said with a laugh.

County attorney Everett Moore, a lifelong resident of the county, called Baker a quiet, unassuming leader. “The quality of county employees has been a direct reflection of leadership at the top,” he said. “He's honest, hard working and a truly decent human being.”

Several who spoke echoed those same sentiments and noted how rare those qualities are among those in government.

“Dave is selfless, always putting the county employees first,” said new County

Administrator Todd Lawson, who added the five-month transition period had been smooth.
“Dave Baker is the model for what government service should be,” said Positive Growth Alliance Director Rich Collins. “So many feel it's a license to run our lives for us.”

Baker had greetings from Gov. Jack Markell, Sen. Tom Carper and Sen. Chris Coons. He also received tributes from the Delaware House of Representatives presented by Rep. Dave Wilson, R-Bridgeville, and from the Delaware Senate presented by Sen. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, and Bob Venables, D-Laurel.

“Dave has something I don't see a whole lot in leadership today – humbleness,” Venables said.

After the official proclamations, chief of county public information Chip Guy read an unofficial proclamation designating Jan. 7 as Dave Baker Day. Guy quipped about Baker's insistence on not joining the paperless age. He said Baker would now have time to get professional help to understand why he has a mission to save every piece of paper since the formation of the county in 1683. “The search party has been called off because we have found his desk,” Guy said.

Baker turned the table on several people – including the five county council members – and presented them with humorous gifts.

One of the highlights of the evening was a reflection on Dave Baker as a family man by son John Baker, one of four Baker sons. He talked about the jobs his father could have during his retirement, but all were vetoed by family members.

Among the jobs were: jeweler, because his favorite accessory is a Casio calculator watch; chicken farmer, because he raised a lost chicken named Bob who became so fat it couldn't stand up when it fell over; food critic, because he took out a smelly summer sausage during an airplane flight causing a lady sitting next to him to get sick – the lady was Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio's cousin; and Dr. Phil, because the advice he gave John on his wedding day was this: “Marriage is saying you're sorry when you are really not.”

Seriously, his son said, his father was the best role model anyone could have. Despite his demanding job, he always found time for his family, even if that meant leaving work early and then resuming his work late into the night at home, he said.

Dave Baker called the event an unforgettable occasion, and in typical Baker fashion he ended up deflecting praise to others. He thanked his wife for making uncountable sacrifices over the years.

He said he was lucky to work with a great staff of hard-working people who always kept the interests of Sussex County residents first and foremost. “I'm proud to call you all my friends,” he said.