Stephen W. Baird

Background and Expertise: President and chief executive officer of Baird & Warner; chairman of The Realty Alliance; past president of CorLands, The Openlands Project; serves on The Trust for Public Land’s national board of directors and as chair of its Chicago advisory board; trustee of the Morton Arboretum; recently appointed to the boards of Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ), and the local advisory board of US Bank; selected by Fortune Small Business magazine as a “Best Boss” for 2004; 1975 graduate of Harvard University; serves as the national chairman for the HAA Schools and Scholarship Committee; co-chair of the Harvard Schools Committee in Chicago; MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business Management and currently serves as a director of its alumni board; lives in Chicago and the North Shore with his wife and two daughters.

Why I believe in protecting land and creating parks: “My family and I share The Trust for Public Land’s belief in the importance of open space in people’s lives. In cities and the wilderness, parks are where people connect and community is built. Creating a better, more open environment is critical to a better society in general.”

Why I support The Trust for Public Land: “My family and I have supported The Trust for Public Land for decades because we believe its work changes lives. From preserving nature to giving more children access to a park close to home, The Trust for Public Land reaches more communities and creates more parks.”