by Joel Addington
Contributing Writer
Ron Baker wanted a box for the two small bolts that sat upright on his desk. “Maybe a shadow box,” he said.
The Jacksonville Port Authority’s Chief Financial Officer plans on giving the small pieces of steel to his sons – ages 10 and 11 – for Christmas.
But these aren’t regular bolts. They’re space bolts sent to Baker along with a thank you note from Cape Canaveral Port Authority CEO Stan Payne.
The bolts were used on a NASA space shuttle and are one of the many tokens from Baker’s professional and personal lives that fill his office on Talleyrand Avenue.
The large room includes the typical features one might expect in the workspace of a high-ranking corporate officer: a big desk, conference table, book shelves and a great view. Two windows overlook the port itself with dozens of containers, cranes and ships busy going about the business of transporting cargo.
“You see firsthand what you’re doing,” said Baker, 50. “It’s about the river, the port, the people – everything I do everyday.”
Other memorabilia show how Baker, a life-long Jacksonville resident, graduated from Jacksonville University with a master’s in Business Administration, went to work at Florida Community College at Jacksonville developing instructional plans for technology and joined JEA as the utility’s Chief Financial Officer — all before taking the same position with the Port Authority.
There’s his diploma, a plaque and clock for 10 years of dedicated service to JEA and the photo of a Carnival Cruise Line ship docked at the port.
“It’s from when we got into the cruise business,” Baker said of the photo. “It’s kind of a reminder for me.”
Many of the things in his office are just that, reminders. There’s the certificate from Leadership Jacksonville and another from a training course for executives from Harvard University.
“We were led by some of the deep thinkers on public policy,” said Baker of the three-week course he completed last year. “It was one of the most intriguing and professionally challenging things I’ve done in years. It’s not hype in terms of what they bring to the table academically. It’s something special.”
There’s the framed Jacksonville Business Journal story about what Baker does for fun outside the office. The photo that ran alongside the story shows Baker holding snow skis.
He started skiing at age 25 and takes his boys on ski trips each year. Two years ago the destination was Wyoming.
“They were 8 and 9 years old and said, ‘It’s cold. We want to go home,’” said Baker. “Now, that’s all they want to know about, where we’re going this year.”
Other items offer insight into Baker and who he is. His bookshelves contain texts about Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, business strategies and religion.
A dry-erase board shows a time line and plenty of figures, most with dollar signs in front of them. It’s a property acquisition strategy for the Port Authority.
“I’m certainly a visual person,” he said. “From time-to-time I draw out concepts and ideas. When you put something into writing, you crystallize it for other people.”
But one of his most prized office possessions is a small, colorful ceramic dish, the first one made by his son.
“He was so excited about it,” said Baker. “If it’s not here, he’ll put me under scrutiny.”
He also has four framed pieces of his children’s artwork on the walls, not far from their photos.
“I’m always reminding myself why I do what I do,” said Baker, adding that he hopes his work helps to create a better quality of life and more opportunity for his kids. “They’re a major part of that.”