by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Multiple changes have graced the athletic programs at Kansas City Kansas Community College over the past 27 years – new programs, new facilities, new personnel.
And yet there has been one constant. For those 27 years, Debi Baker has served as athletic secretary working with 85 head and assistant coaches and hundreds of student athletes.
That all ends Thursday when Baker enters retirement. She’ll be joining her husband, Bob, who is also retiring for visitations to far away families and catching up on home projects.
“Working around the athletes is awesome, it always has been,” Baker said. “Seeing them one on one on a daily basis, getting to know them personally and watching them grow has always been a delight. It’s the reason I love this job.”
“Debi has been a pleasure to work with and will be greatly missed,” said KCKCC Athletic Director Tony Tompkins. “I am truly grateful for her commitment to serve our student-athletes, coaches and staff.”
Then Athletic Director Duane Shaw hired Baker July 13, 1992.
“There was no air conditioning, I worked with an electric typewriter and answered the phones,” she remembered. The Field House was also the site of the original KCKCC Wellness and Fitness Center in what is now a weight training room.
Since then women’s soccer was added but cross country and track dropped. Baseball got a new complex, soccer an all-weather field and softball the Jayhawk Conference’s only all-weather field. The Field House now boasts a wood floor and new bleachers, new roof and new offices and training room.
Baker’s job also underwent changes.
“The NJCAA was just getting started computerizing letters of intent on-line and then chose the Jayhawk Conference to be the pioneer,” said Baker, who along with other KJCCC secretaries were brought to the national office in Colorado Springs to learn the new programs. “After one year, they launched it nationally and it’s been going ever since.”
Baker’s position is critical to ascertaining that all letters of intent and eligibility requirements are met to NJCAA standards, something KJCCC secretaries hashed out in statewide meetings each year.
“I formed a lot of long term friendships with the other secretaries,” said Baker, who served four years as president of the organization.
Growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, Baker attended Vance elementary school, Coronado Junior High and Washington High School.
“I was in the first senior class that experienced split sessions because the enrollment was so high,” Baker said. “I would go to class from 7 a.m. until noon. They were building Schlagle and Harmon high schools at the time.”
She worked at City National Bank, Pioneer Loan Co. and Shawnee Mission Medical Center after graduation but marriage to her first husband opened the doors to her No. 1 passion – singing.
“I sang gospel music with my first husband. We traveled with a group and then had our own group and started singing country music at the Union Mill Opry in Edgerton, Mo.
“It was fun,” said Baker, who got into singing gospel at Victoria Tabernacle. “I learned to harmonize and sing and started trying out. The more you sing, the better you got.” For nearly 25 years she sang before ending her vocal career on a high note. “Her dad and I sang a duet at my daughter Amber’s wedding 10 years ago.”
Baker has four children, David and Amber from her first marriage; Summer and Jared from her current marriage. There’s also seven grandchildren with whom she’ll now be able to spend more time now that she’s in retirement.
“Jared lives in San Antonio with my youngest grandchild and I have older sisters in Austin, Texas, and Denver and Bob has a lot of family in Arkansas so we’ll be visiting them,” she said. “And Bob and I have a lot of home projects.”
