LBW Community College’s 2017 graduating class will welcome guest speaker Jimmy Baker, chancellor of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), during the commencement ceremony on May 12, 2017.

Baker, a native of Coffee County, was named chancellor of the two-year college system in March and has spent much of his career in education. He taught history and social studies and coached football and basketball at Daleville High School. He quickly moved up the ranks of education administration, first serving as superintendent of Daleville, later becoming superintendent of Coffee County, then as assistant superintendent for finance at the state Department of Education.

While state assistant superintendent, Baker supervised budgets and financial reports for the state education office, local school systems, and the community college system.

He served four years as state finance director under Gov. Fob James beginning in 1995, with broad responsibilities over a range of government functions. During this time, he developed and secured passage of the Foundation Program to allocate school funds more fairly, which he implemented during a short term as deputy state superintendent.

As an educator, he chaired and served on numerous committees, including the Alabama Textbook Committee, the State Tenure Commission, and the Alabama Association of School Administrators.

Baker also has experience in the private sector, working as president of a brokerage firm, managing large-scale real estate developments, serving in governmental affairs, and operating private partnership businesses, including a medical evacuation company.

He first joined ACCS as a governmental affairs consultant until being appointed chief of staff in January 2016. He was then appointed as acting chancellor in August 2016, and in March as chancellor.