Welcome David Baxter!

David’s appointment comes after a lengthy and thorough search for Bill Bakke’s successor, one that has involved Hopkins’ administrators, staff and Trustees.

In significant ways, David Baxter’s qualifications and his appointment reflect the increasing complexity of the role of the Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Hopkins. We have, in the course of this search, had the occasion to look at the School’s recent past and its purposeful future. David’s appointment reminds us of the tremendous advances Hopkins has made under Bill Bakke’s tenure, and underscores the importance of operations and finance to our School’s future.

David Baxter has been at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford since 2000, most recently as the Museum’s Deputy Director for Administration and Development. He comes to Hopkins with extensive experience in not-for-profit institutions and a powerful commitment to the direction and future of our school.

As Deputy Director at the Wadsworth Atheneum, David’s responsibilities have ranged across all aspects of the Museum’s operations, finances and development. David’s operational oversight has included real estate and facilities management, information technology and security; he also managed all elements of a significant expansion of the Museum. On the financial side, David had responsibility for the institution’s cash management, accounting and budget development, financial planning, as well as endowment and investment management in conjunction with the Museum’s Director and the Board of Trustees. He also directed development activity, including individual, corporate and foundation giving.

David is a Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brandeis University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Boston University. He is a Little League coach, a resident of Wallingford and, with his wife, Marci (herself a lawyer), the parent of eight-year old triplets! David and his family are, and I quote, “over the moon” about joining our community.

Over the course of the many conversations I have had with David these past several months, he remarked that it was “obvious” to him that Hopkins is a special place, one where the administration and staff, and the Board, have been “carefully stewarding and growing” the institution. He went on to say that he knew he could help and looked forward, very much, to advancing the “prospect.” David is “right” on all counts, and we can all look forward to welcoming him to Hopkins on June 11.