Business
Mark Baker has been flying for more than 40 years, using airplanes for fun, commuting, and business. With more than 10,000 hours in the left seat and a commercial pilot certificate with single and multiengine land and seaplane ratings, rotorcraft rating, and type ratings in the Cessna Citation 500 and 525s, as well as a DC-3 type rating. Mark’s favorite plane is a Piper Super Cub he’s owned for more than 25 years. Before taking the helm at AOPA, Mark had a distinguished career in top leadership positions at companies including The Home Depot, Gander Mountain, and Orchard Supply Hardware. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How Mark Baker changed the tone and trajectory of AOPA after taking over Why Baker chose to leave retail and move into an association The challenges Mark Baker had to overcome while transitioning to the nonprofit industry The importance of enabling and engaging your staff How Baker improved AOPA’s regional fly-ins and other types of member engagement events The challenges of advocacy in a complex association climate Where we are at with the growth of the pilot population The role that mentorship played in Baker’s growth as a leader Additional resources: Website: www.aopa.org Twitter: @AOPA