Bill Baker is baking a better community

Many people think the race for mayor in the Town of Essex got more exciting when a fourth candidate, Bill Baker, threw his hat into the ring. With a broad background in business, marketing and communications, and a solid track record implementing strategic business plans, Baker believes he’s the right man for the job.

Bill Baker was born in Windsor in 1956. After graduating from high school, Baker got a job at Chrysler working the line. Eventually, he enrolled in the business administration and marketing program at St. Clair College. It was at St. Clair that Baker first became interested in politics, where he was elected as student council president.

“At that point I realized that the ability to network and use my skills to communicate with people were something that provided me with a kind of passion,” said Baker.

Baker put his political life on hold when he moved to Toronto to kick off his career in business. Baker currently works for Leamington District Memorial Hospital as the director of communications and public affairs.

Baker decided to return to his passion for politics in November 2010 when he was elected as Councillor of Ward 3 in the Town of Essex. Baker says he understands the public and private sectors of Windsor and Essex County and he knows how important it is to have this understanding to be an effective mayor.

“When you look at business, they like to focus and get things done quickly,” Baker said. “Sometimes government doesn’t work as fast… Coming from the private sector, public sector and not-for-profit allows me to understand all areas and see where we need to go.”

Baker has molded his mayoral platform around the knowledge he gained from his time as councillor and said it comes down to increasing Essex County’s revenue base. Baker’s strategy for revenue growth is well underway and he has been working with the business and winery sectors of Essex County to develop boutique hotels in Harrow and the Town of Essex

Baker knows that sometimes people look for a family man when they are electing officials. He’s happily married to his wife Shelly Weepers, they have a daughter, Faith Baker and three stepchildren. If you were to ask him what he was most proud of in his life, he would smile and tell you it was marrying his wife and starting his family.

Bill Baker wants to use his well-rounded background to improve the Town of Essex and bring his community together.

“One of the most important things to becoming a leader is that there is no ‘I’ in leader,” says Baker. “You are the voice in the community for what needs to be done and that’s what I want to focus on.”