DE222 Honoree: Chris Baker

Title: President & CEO

Chris Baker

Workplace: George & Lynch

Alma Mater: University of Delaware

Boards: ABC Delaware, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, University of Delaware, Kent Sussex Leadership Alliance, WSFS Southern Delaware Advisory Board, Easterseals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore Advisory Board

Q&A: Favorite thing about Delaware? “Delaware’s smallness allows for easy access to all geography of the state, connections to all manner of residents, and familiarity with both the former and latter.”

It was a bit of serendipity that led Chris Baker to to the Dover-based heavy construction firm George & Lynch more than 30 years ago, but it turned out to be a lifelong career. He worked his way up from an intern to leading the firm of more than 175 associates who build highways and bridges, lay utilities and construct water and sewer plants. Under Baker’s leadership, the century-old George & Lynch recently became one of the state’s largest employee-owned companies after offering an ESOP.