Five join Manchester University Board of Trustees
Leaders in business, diversity, accounting, higher education grants and religious studies have joined the Manchester University Board of Trustees.
Mark Baer ’91
Mark Baer is chief executive officer of Crowe, based in Columbus, Ohio. With offices around the world, Crowe is a public accounting, consulting and technology firm that combines deep industry and specialized expertise with innovation.
Baer previously served five years as managing partner of the firm’s audit and assurance services. Baer and his team were responsible for developing and executing strategies tied to growth and profitability, audit quality, audit transformation, client experience, talent development and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
A CPA, he is a member of the Crowe LLP Inclusive Excellence Council, which oversees and drives key diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and initiatives across the firm. He is also a director of the Crowe Foundation, which aligns charitable giving with substantial volunteer efforts of Crowe personnel.
He served on the MU President’s Leadership Council from 2016 until joining the trustees and was on the board of Salvation Army of Greater Columbus, Prevent Child Abuse of Northern Indiana and Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka.
A 1991 Manchester graduate who majored in accounting, he is on the trustees’ Student Life Committee.
Alicia Roberts ’01 Baird
Alicia Baird of Indianapolis is director of grant systems and administration at Strada Education Network, a national social impact organization devoted to research, philanthropy and solutions that align education and careers.
A recipient of Manchester’s Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award, Baird previously served on the Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2010.
A graduate of the Manchester Class of 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, she went on to earn a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University (IUPUI).
Baird served on the President’s Leadership Council at Manchester from 2013 until joining the trustees, is a founding member and past president of Indiana Blacks in Philanthropy and is on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Indianapolis Scholarship Review panel.
She is actively involved in the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative, and she established the Benson C. Onyeji Scholarship Fund at Manchester.
She is on the trustees’ Student Life Committee.
Brittan Bright ’03 King
Brittan King lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is head of industry on Google’s sales team in business and industrial markets.
King has worked at Google for seven years, is a member of the Black Googler network, State of Black Women, Mixed Googlers and Woman@Google employee resource groups.
She currently helps lead an internal mentorship program geared toward Black+Googler career advancement, serves as a mentor via Google’s Sage program, as well as facilitating several DEI-focused classes through Google’s G2G learning program.
She served on the Diversity, Equity and Belonging committee at Brooklyn Friends School. She is a tireless advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion.
King is on the trustees’ Outreach Committee. She is a member of the Manchester Class of 2003 and majored in English.
Timothy Lake
An associate professor at Wabash College, the Rev. Dr. Timothy Lake also serves as associate director of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Religion and Theology.
He is a scholar whose research and teaching reflect the connections that exist among traditionally distinct disciplines. Lake also chairs the Black studies minor program at Wabash.
A Fort Wayne resident, Lake completed two master’s degrees -- one in religious studies from Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C., and another in systematic theology from the University of Notre Dame. He has a doctorate in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
In addition to his academic appointments, Lake is senior pastor of the Union Baptist Church in Fort Wayne. He has a heart for the poor and powerless and serves a number of organizations.
He was Manchester’s director of multicultural affairs from 1997 to 2000. He serves on the trustees’ Educational Quality Committee.
Dan Starr
Dan Starr has served as president and CEO of Do it Best Corp., based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since January 2016.
He joined Do it Best in 2005 as director of human resources and general counsel, was promoted to vice president of human resources in July 2006 and was named executive vice president and chief operating officer in June 2012.
Prior to joining Do it Best, Starr was a partner at a large Midwestern law firm specializing in business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and tax matters, including years serving the legal needs of Do it Best. Starr received his law degree from Indiana University School of Law.
Starr has held leadership roles within the greater Fort Wayne community, participating on civic, charitable and business boards.
He currently serves on the United Way of Allen County Board of Directors and Parkview Health Board of Directors. Dan has served on numerous non-profit boards during his 26 years living in northeast Indiana.
He serves on the trustees’ Outreach Committee.
For the media
Cutline (from left) top row: Alicia Baird, Mark Baer, Brittan King
bottom row: Timothy Lake,Dan Starr
More about Manchester trusteesManchester University, with campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., provides vibrant and transformative student experiences.
Learn more.Our mission and valuesManchester University respects the infinite worth of every individual and graduates persons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.
March 2022