Brian Baker
Field manager, Codding Maintenance, 1400 Valley House Dr., #100, PO Box 3550, Rohnert Park 94928, 707-795-3550, codding.com
Age: 58
Tell us about yourself and the properties you manage: I am currently the field manager for Sonoma Mountain Village, a 175-acre Codding Investments property in southeast Rohnert Park. The property has 600,000 square feet of commercial space in a 25-acre business core with more than 35 business tenants and 600 employees.
The entire campus is an internationally recognized, deeply sustainable, mixed-use community with plans to add more than 200,000 square feet of retail space and 1,694 homes. The community will provide 3,300 jobs along with convenient daily services to the 4,400 residents and surrounding community.
Born in 1955, I followed in my father’s footsteps, first as an apprentice plumber then a union journeyman plumber. In 1993, I was recruited to oversee all maintenance for the 20-acre Montgomery Village property.
In 1991, I assumed maintenance responsibilities for all of Codding's Rohnert Park properties, which included Walmart Plaza South, Sonoma Valley Plaza, 6400 Redwood Dr., the 70-unit Manor Apartments, Raley's Towne Centre and North Bay Centre.
In 2005, I became field manager of Sonoma Mountain Village, where a hard-work ethic and analytical expertise keeps operating at optimal levels everything from 2.14 megawatts worth of rooftop solar arrays and the large-scale energy systems to the 20,000-square-foot Sonoma Mountain Village Event Center.
Codding is an investment holding company with investments in commercial real estate, a commercial construction and maintenance company, green building companies and subsidiary that develops deeply sustainable mixed-use communities. Other than the previously mentioned properties, Codding holdings include Merced Mall and a joint venture with Simon Property Group in Coddingtown regional mall in Santa Rosa.
What's a notable recent project have you completed?: I'm most proud of managing the complete retrofit of the combined 3,800-ton heating, air conditioning system at Sonoma Mountain Village.
What do you see as the role of the facilities managers within your organization?: Problem-solving and suggesting solutions. Analysis of efficiency systems.
What is your biggest challenge today?: Keeping up to date on computer-technology systems.
How do you think your profession will change in the next five years?: Technology will, most likely, be more integrated with increased automation.
Most admired businessperson outside your organization: My father, Ewell Baker.
Current reading: The Sea-Wolf by Jack London.
