Dr. Baker enjoyed careers in air freight, real estate, newspaper, education, and renewable energy retiring in 2021. After working in air freight transportation and as an independent real estate appraiser, Ed spent 18 years in the newspaper industry. He introduced them to the Internet—replacing advertising, editorial, business, and composing systems and their 300+ dummy terminals with integrated PC workstations and digital pagination. He also navigated the Y2K crisis, created a voluntary in-house training system, and developed one of the first successful paid newspaper websites while serving on the boards of Friend InDeed and Computer Banc charities.

As an adjunct instructor from 2005-2009, he taught introduction to business systems at Lincoln Land Community College. In 2009 Ed transitioned to the renewable energy industry, climbing 100+ wind turbines and specializing in 24-hour wind farm remote operations concentrating on Robotics Process Automation (RPA), data analytics, and reporting. Ed credits the MIS and GPSI programs at UIS as being his life's most influential educational experiences, enabling him to be an influencer at every level within the organizations he has been fortunate enough to work for.

Dr. Baker received a Ph.D. in Organization Management and Leadership from Capella University in 2006 and his Master of Arts in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Springfield in 1998. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics from Illinois College in 1978.