David Baker prepares to vacate Sussex office

Take it from an inside source, Sussex County Administrator David Baker is really not retiring; he’s moving on to another job.

Baker will leave county service after 33 years at the end of this year and plans to work with son Joseph's financial planning business not far from his current office on The Circle in downtown Georgetown.

Sitting in his office just a few days from retirement No. 1, Baker said he is looking forward to working with his son on a regular schedule. His schedule as county administrator has been anything but normal; he's been on call for five years.

“We are taking the month of January off to get away,” he said. The “we” he is referring to includes his wife, Sandy, who retired nearly two years ago. Sandy was proudly taking photos as county council honored her husband Dec. 13 during his final county council meeting. She has also been by his side helping out as much as possible, and during Hurricane Irene used her own credit card to purchase supplies for emergency shelters.

Before he can join his son’s firm, Baker will have to go back to school to get certified, but his years of on-the-job training should help a little. Baker served as an accountant and finance director prior to his appointment as CEO of the county in 2006. Over the past couple years, he has overseen a $140 million budget and 500 employees.

A lot has happened over the past 33 years. When he started in the accounting department, the budget was around $5 million, and 150 people were employed by the county. Sewer districts were just starting to hit the drawing board; now the county runs a multi-million dollar sewer business with more than 60,000 customers.

Three decades ago, there no were paramedics and the emergency operations center was housed in a bunker at Cape Henlopen State Park. Now, the county mans seven stations with 100 employees as the top unit in the country. The emergency operations center is so state-of-the-art others travel from locations all over the globe to see it.

Though he was leery about leaving the safety of the numbers he worked with so long on a daily basis, Baker said he was prepared to step into the county administrator’s shoes. However, he was caught off guard by how well Sussex Countians get along. “I think this sets Sussex County and Delaware apart because people are doing their best to work together,” he said.

Leaving behind strong financial footing

Baker leaves behind a county government with a strong financial foundation – the county finished with a $3.4 million general fund surplus in fiscal 2011. He also leaves behind his mark as a quiet, unassuming man who was devoted to his job and the people he worked with. Working behind the scenes, his main focus was always to seek a compromise.

Veteran Councilman George Cole, R-Ocean View, said it best Dec. 13 during Baker’s final county council meeting. “As politicians we tend to take the credit, but it’s really always been Dave since day one,” he said.

Baker says there are two things that made the job one that he looked forward to every day: the dedication of the county staff and the ability to make a difference in people’s lives. “It’s a challenging job, but also very rewarding,” he said.

One thing Baker won’t miss is the feeling that his job never ends, even when he is out of town on vacation. “I feel like I’m on call all the time, and I am,” he said. “That helps to create some stress, but I think that’s more to do with my personality.”

He said finding time for his large family has always been a struggle. “My wife gave Todd Lawson [the incoming administrator] one piece of advice,” he said. “She told him to keep his family first.”

Making an effort to clean off his desk

For the next two weeks, Baker is not coasting; it’s not in his nature. By now, most would have delegated everything and cleaned off their desk. Not Baker. Employees say they have never seen the top of Baker’s desk, and although some piles of papers and files have been dropped on other employee’s desks, some of his staff said he still might need a front-end loader to completely clean out his office.

“He didn't get the memo about a paperless workplace,” said Chip Guy with a laugh. Guy is the county's public information director who led a roast of Baker during the county's annual employee appreciation luncheon.

Even in his final hours, Baker is working hard to polish off a plan to extend the county's airport runway another 1,000 feet to bring new jobs to the county.

Baker said he is leaving the job with some unfinished business. On that list is work on the Woodland park project and sewer extension in the Seaford-Blades area. “There are always too many competing demands and you have to realize you can't get everything done,” he said.

Baker sees a bright future for Sussex County. “Even in a depressed economy we've been able to get by with a balanced budget and not raise taxes,” he said.

He said people still want to visit and live in Sussex County because of its low taxes, rural atmosphere and beaches.

Interactions with county council

A big part of Baker's job has been his interactions with members of county council. Although he is CEO of the county, council is like an elected board of directors with thoughts and opinions of their own. Although the council president runs the weekly council meetings, it's been up to Baker to help set the agenda.

There are times of trepidation, but most things work out for the best, Baker said. “We have to respect their vision because they set policy, and it's up to staff to implement that policy,” he said.

In an effort to keep the lines of communication open between council, himself and employees, Baker maintains a notepad where he jots down thoughts and issues he later discusses with the council president.

During his final council meeting, Baker thanked council for its support. “I know that sometimes you wondered what was this nut was thinking,” he said.

Baker has a lot to be proud of as he retires as county administrator. At the top of the list has to be the county's strong financial foundation. Yet in typical David Baker style, he deflects any credit to others. “It's all due to the sacrifices of our employees,” he said.

THE BAKER FILE

• Graduated Brandywine High School in 1969.

• Graduated University of Delaware with accounting and sociology degrees in 1973.

• Married to Sandy with four sons, Jonathan, attorney; Jim, structural engineer; Robert, architect; and Joseph, financial planner/investor; with five grandchildren.

• Lives in a rural area outside Georgetown.

• Also worked as accountant at Brandywine Raceway and News Journal.

• Served on Cape Henlopen School Board, 1990-1995.

• Started county service April 28, 1978.

• In retirement: Work with his son Joseph; spend more time with the family; travel; sail.