JOHN D. BAKER

CHAIRMAN & CEO, FRP HOLDINGS, JACKSONVILLE

FRP Holdings buys land and develops industrial warehouses and apartment complexes throughout the Southeast. Baker has served as chairman of the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. He is board chairman of the Jacksonville Electric Authority and previously served on the board of directors of Wells Fargo, the Jacksonville Port Authority, Progress Energy, Vulcan Materials, Texas Industries, Hughes Supply and Edward Waters College. He’s also the founding board chair of two charter schools serving the poorest parts of Jacksonville.

EDUCATION: University of Florida (BS, JD), Princeton University (BA)

FIRST JOB: My first job was in the sand and gravel business with Florida Rock Industries. Initially it was a family company but later went public and had mines and concrete plants throughout the Southeast.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I would go back to the construction materials business where I spent the first 40 years of my career, from hourly employee to CEO.

MENTEE IMPACT: My two sons have worked directly for me and are now CEOs — one at FRP Holdings (real estate) and one at an aggregate mining company, Blue Water Industries. They are both skillful CEOs and run great companies.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I love my church, St. Mark’s Episcopal, and love learning more deeply about my faith.

HOBBY: I love to hunt and fish. I go to the Bahamas, Cuba and South Florida to bone fish and tarpon fish. I hunt quail and ducks at properties we have developed for that.