Evening Lectures - Pensacola
Rick Baker
THE TALK: The Rich History of Florida: Beyond the Sunshine, A Timeline of Florida’s Past
January 17, 2019
Abstract
As Mayor of St. Petersburg, Baker learned that knowledge of our past is critical to ensuring that we make good decisions now. He opens the book with his view of lessons learned from Florida’s past – lessons that should shape the decisions we make now. This is a powerful message for those involved in our incredible state.
Beyond the Sunshine covers 12,000 years of Florida history in an entertaining, fast-pace, approachable manner. It includes over 500 pictures that make Florida’s past come to life and covers from the first humans arriving to last year’s hurricane Irma. A reader can acquire a thorough knowledge of Florida’s history in a weekend read.
As a unique addition for this IHMC talk, Mayor Baker has agreed to also discuss his tremendously successful efforts to redevelop downtown St. Petersburg – as outlined in his second book The Seamless City – along with lessons learned that may help Pensacola’s present downtown efforts.
Biography
Rick Baker has been a Business Acquisition lawyer, a Law Firm President, a University Vice President and President of a St. Petersburg-based development and entertainment company. Presently he is an advisor and investor in companies involved in urban development and autonomous vehicle technology.
From 2001 to 2010, he served as mayor of St. Petersburg – Florida’s fourth largest city. Under Mayor Baker’s leadership St. Petersburg experienced a renaissance unmatched in city history. In 2008, Mayor Baker was named America’s Mayor/Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine, and in 2011, was named “America’s greatest mayor of the decade” in Newsweek Magazine’s Daily Beast.
Baker holds a B.S., MBA, and a Juris Doctor (with honors) from Florida State University where he was Senior Class President. He studied comparative law at Oxford University. He served as legal intern to Florida Supreme Court Justice Ben Overton, and law clerk to Governor Bob Graham’s special counsel.
Baker is an adjunct fellow of the Manhattan Institute policy think-tank in New York City. He has authored three books – Mangroves to Major League in 2000, a history of St. Petersburg; The Seamless City in 2011, about city leadership and urban revitalization; and Beyond the Sunshine in 2018 – a timeline history of Florida.
He enjoys music, guitar, weight training, history, public policy and counts as one of his favorite experiences playing and singing with the Marshall Tucker Band on four occasions.
lecture sponsors
Dr. Ed and Judy Galbavy: Carousel House
season sponsors
Dr. Roger Orth with Gastroenterology Associates
B.J. and Kimberly Etscheid
Garlan Sisco