Cynthia Baker elected chair of the Board of Trustees

The College of the Atlantic Board of Trustees has elected Cynthia Baker as its new chair, marking the start of a term that draws on decades of fundraising and nonprofit leadership experience.

A trustee since 2018, Baker has spent more than 25 years in institutional advancement at Duke University, where she serves as Senior Philanthropic Director. Raised in Bangor, her son, Adam, is a COA class of 2019 graduate, and her family splits time between Southwest Harbor and Washington, DC.

For decades, Baker has seen first hand the transformative power of higher education. The work being done at COA is a vital part of that landscape, she said.

“The college’s human-ecological educational model, which encourages intellectual risk-taking and creative collaboration, is critically important for society, particularly now,” Baker said. “As board members, our work with President Torti and campus leaders to cement a sustainable future for the college is a privilege and challenge we don’t take lightly.”

Baker succeeds Beth Gardiner, who completed four years as chair and was awarded the 2025 Samuel M. Hamill, Jr. Distinguished Service Award at the board’s annual meeting.

During her service as a trustee over the past eight years, Baker has been impressed with the depth and breadth of the COA community, she said. 

“COA is a joyful place–a melding of cultures and ideas. The students’ fierce curiosity is inspiring and infectious, as is the way faculty and staff deftly guide their academic journeys,” Baker said. “Our reach beyond campus is so important as well, with regular speakers, visiting artists, and events like the Summer Institute serving to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of MDI.”

In addition to her work at Duke, Baker served as vice chair of the board of the nonprofit Avalon Theater in Washington, DC. Her previous professional roles include strategic development positions with national nonprofit and public affairs organizations, as well as service on Capitol Hill.

She earned a BA in history and an MA in women’s studies from Duke University. Baker and her husband, Jon Zeitler, are the parents of three sons: Adam, Jeremy, and Thomas.