Cedrick Baker joined McKnight in May 2022 as chief of staff. He serves as a key strategic advisor to president Tonya Allen and aligns enterprise-level work across the organization. Cedrick is a warm, inspiring, motivational leader and systems thinker who thrives on building high-performing, engaging cultures. He is especially skilled in navigating change and removing barriers within large, complex organizations and jurisdictions. Applying a lens of equitable outcomes and justice, he strives to help organizations recognize and remedy systemic inequity so that all people can thrive.

Cedrick spent the past five years serving the Saint Paul Public Schools, most recently as chief of staff. In that role he supported the superintendent in district-wide operations, strategic planning, and partnerships. Previously, Cedrick served as administrator for and a member of the Saint Paul school board. Earlier in his career, Cedrick was an equity manager and audit team leader for the Metropolitan Council, a regional agency that fosters economic growth for the Twin Cities metro area.

Cedrick is currently pursuing a PhD in organizational leadership, policy, and development at the University of Minnesota. He holds a master’s in public administration from Georgia State University, and a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of Florida.

Active in the community, Cedrick serves on the board of Citizens League and the advisory council for GreenLight Fund Twin Cities, and has been a longtime volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters.