Through her life experience as a native and current resident of North Minneapolis, Chanda Smith Baker believes in the strengths and assets that exist in low-income communities; this is the foundation by which she has led in her more than twenty years of nonprofit experience. Chanda is an accomplished senior executive with a career record of providing business insight, transformational leadership, and strategic vision leading to strengthened operational performance, innovative solutions and high performing teams. In her current role as President and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, Ms. Baker is responsible for 130 employees and the operations of five neighborhood centers, a training center and eight social enterprises; including a homeless youth ran bike shop and a professional theater. Ms. Baker leads with an unwavering focus on closing racial disparities and measuring outcomes—boldly pushing the agency to become more focused, more creative; and including the voice of community in its solutions that allow for the emergence of new ideas. In 2014, she led a planning process that resulted in a new strategic framework titled; One Pillsbury, United – our plan for creating thriving communities. This led to securing over 1 million dollars to implement its key strategies which focuses on furthering impact and operational capacity.

In addition to her work with Pillsbury United Communities, Ms. Baker sits on the Board of Directors of the Greater Twin Cities United Way, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, Public Allies National, the International Federation of Settlements Houses, serves as the co- chair of the MACC Alliance Board of Directors and sits on the national advisory board of the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification (NERCHE). She has received several recognitions including: Hubert H. Humphrey Leadership Award, 2012 Minneapolis-St Paul Business Diversity in Business honoree, and Hometown Hero recognition in 2011 for her role leading the recovery efforts following a tornado in North Minneapolis.

Ms. Smith Baker holds a Master of Arts – Organizational Management and Communications degree from Concordia University. She is also a graduate of MenTTium 100 Executive Leadership Program and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Executive Leadership Institute.

Chanda can be reached at [email protected]

In the News

Profiles in Excellence: Chanda Smith Baker, Insight News

2012 Diversity in Business, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Humphrey Leadership Award, University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs