Dwight Baker to Retire as President, CEO

Dwight Baker, president and CEO of Baker Publishing, will retire on May 1, 2023, after 43 years with the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company. As the grandson of its founder, Herman Baker, Dwight Baker worked in the Baker Book House family bookstore in middle school, before joining the publishing division in 1980. He was named president and CEO in 1997, a role previously held by his grandfather as well as his father, Richard Baker.

As president and CEO, Baker expanded Baker Publishing's trade divisions through the launch of Brazos Press in 1999, and the acquisitions of Bethany House Publishing (2002) and Regal Books (2014). He led a renovation in 2012 that made Baker Book House the largest Christian bookstore in North America. Baker also served for over a decade on the board of the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association, including two terms as board chair.  

“I am grateful for the privilege of serving the church through the Christian book business and eager for our company’s future under new leadership,” Baker said in a statement. “Our board, executive team, and staff are positioned for great accomplishments, and I am confident of an effective transition.”

The search for the company's fourth president and CEO is expected to culminate in spring 2023.