Charlie Baker, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and former Governor of Massachusetts will deliver this year鈥檚 commencement address. Baker is known for his bipartisan leadership and ability to get things done. He was one of the most popular governors in the country and earned widespread support by taking on significant issues and finding innovative ways to address them. He has continued that approach with the NCAA.
A former collegiate athlete at Harvard, Baker has decades of experience spearheading transformations at high profile institutions in the private and public sector. He served as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and guided the company from near bankruptcy to becoming one of America鈥檚 top health care plans. He also held leadership roles in state government as Secretary of Administration and Finance, and Secretary of Health and Human Services.
During his two terms as governor, Baker made unprecedented investments in K-12 education, eliminated the state鈥檚 budget deficit while cutting taxes, and dramatically increased access to health care. He helped bring broadband to communities throughout Western Massachusetts, guided the state鈥檚 residents through the Covid pandemic, and invested millions of dollars into expanding the capability of the state鈥檚 technical schools and science and technology programs in higher education.
鈥淭o the extent that you can help people develop a skill set around something they enjoy doing that can turn into a career, that鈥檚 a really valuable public purpose,鈥� he says.
Baker urges New England Tech grads to 鈥渄o something they like,鈥� as they pursue careers, and to seek work in organizations where they feel they can belong and succeed. 鈥淐ulture inside an organization really matters,鈥� he says. 鈥淥rganizations that have collaborative cultures are just a lot more fun to work in than organizations that don鈥檛.鈥�
Throughout his career, Baker says he鈥檚 taken jobs that he liked, working on subjects, causes or issues he cared about. 鈥淭he most important thing leaders can do is create fellowship.鈥� To do that he says, 鈥淵ou have to listen, and you have to be honest with people.鈥�
Baker makes a point of meeting with as many people in his area of responsibility as possible. While serving as governor, he and his lieutenant governor worked to visit every city in Massachusetts. When he became President of the NCAA he was determined to meet with all 97 conferences in his first 100 days. The size and sprawl of the organization made that a challenge, but he still got to all of them in his first 160 days.
Baker has been president of the NCAA for two years, stepping directly from his role as Governor to become the head of an organization that oversees athletic programs at 1,100 schools with a half million student-athletes in 50 states. During his tenure he has helped to elevate women鈥檚 sports, worked to keep student-athletes from being victimized by sports betting, and led the NCAA to provide student-athletes across all three divisions with access to post-eligibility insurance to cover injuries that occur while playing for their university and require treatment beyond the end of their college experience. He has also implemented core guarantees around scholarships for Division One athletes.
Baker says he has gone through setbacks in his work life, including losing his first bid for Governor, but determination and perseverance have seen him through.
鈥淓verybody gets knocked down, and in many cases, more than once,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he real question is what are you going to do about it? Adversity is a cool thing as long as you learn from it.鈥�
Relationships are the key to success in life according to Baker. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an old clich茅, but we are the company we keep,鈥� he says. He and his wife Lauren have been married for 38 years. He says the most important thing for grads to seek is 鈥淗aving somebody who you can laugh with and who you can manage your way through the scars which happen to all of us, and who is always going to be there to pull you up, and tell you when you鈥檙e being an idiot, and help you build the best life.鈥�
As 91吃瓜 grads move into new opportunities he advises them to 鈥渃ontinue to learn and grow and become a better version of themselves. We鈥檙e always a work in progress,鈥� he says.
During New England Tech鈥檚 commencement Charlie Baker will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters in recognition of his work to improve life for others. The commencement ceremony will begin at 11 am on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion which is located at 1 La Salle Square in Providence.
