The Baker Center of Excellence for Employee Ownership and Business Transformation has evolved and is poised for statewide expansion, which will be achieved through the transfer of leadership to the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership.
Montgomery County Community College (MCCC), in collaboration with Ken Baker, President/CEO of NewAge Industries, announce the evolvement of the Baker Center of Excellence for Employee Ownership and Business Transformation (Baker Center).
In December 2020, the MCCC Foundation received a $3 million gift from Baker to seed the development of the Baker Center to serve as a conduit for county and regional employers to gain awareness of and learn about models of dynamic employer-employee partnerships, including employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). The gift also provided for the development of open-sourced learning modules that, when successfully completed, translate to academic credit for college students as well as for the establishment of a resource library open to the public.
Following three years of local and regional operation by MCCC, the Baker Center has evolved, poised for statewide expansion to have a more extensive impact on businesses throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and beyond. This will be achieved through the transfer of initiative leadership, along with the residual endowment, to the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership (PaCEO), a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation, assisting businesses in Pennsylvania in understanding employee ownership and its advantages.
“I am grateful to Montgomery County Community College for incubating my legacy,” said Baker, “establishing a solid foundation for the Baker Center that enables statewide expansion for broader reach to employers-employees across the Commonwealth.”
Phil Needles, MCCC Vice President of Engagement and Student Experience, who oversees the MCCC Foundation said, “The Foundation is proud to have stewarded this generous gift for Ken, making his vision a reality.” He further said, “It is now an opportune time to expand this initiative beyond the county and regional footprint. We extend our best wishes to the PaCEO for much success with the next phase of this endeavor.”
“PaCEO looks forward to continuing the transformational work initiated by Montco,” said Kevin McPhillips, Executive Director/CEO of PaCEO.