Lindsey Baker was hired as Director of Operations for the Rainbow Wahine in July 2011. Baker, a native of Indiana., joins UH following nearly a decade of experience in collegiate athletics.
“We are excited to have Lindsey join our ‘ohana,” Takahara-Dias said. “She brings extensive knowledge and experience having worked in the Big Ten Conference and in the NCAA. She has also been part of basketball at the elite level, having served as the manager for a Purdue team that played in the national championship.”
During the 2009-10 season, Baker was member of the NCAA office in Indianapolis, as an intern for the Division I Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments. Baker was involved in the development of the regional ticket database, assisted with the preliminary round site bid and selection process, created the officials’ database and organized space assignments for the men’s Final Four auxiliary events. She was also involved in the planning and execution of community events, including the distribution of new shoes to underprivileged children and more than 50,000 pounds of food to less fortunate families.
Prior to her job at the NCAA, Baker worked for the Big Ten Conference from 2007-09. As the championships intern, she assisted with the management of 19 Olympic Championships which included oversight of officials, distribution of products, and updating manager’s packets. In addition, she served as a staff member for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments with direct responsibility as liaison for the youth initiative program and “Get to Know Her” initiative.
Baker is a graduate of Purdue University where she earned a dual bachelor of arts in political science and movement and sports science in 2005. She also earned her master’s from Purdue in Sport and Recreation Management in 2007.
During her time as an undergraduate student, Lindsey served as a four-year manager for the Purdue women’s basketball team, assisting with team logistics, recruiting efforts and summer basketball programs. During her tenure with the Boilermakers, the team won back-to-back Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, while also advancing to the 2001 national title game.
As a graduate student, Baker served as the special events graduate assistant for the John Purdue Club, organizing numerous functions involving coaches and student-athletes. In addition, she worked as an administrative professional within the Dean of Students Office, overseeing student activities and organizations while also serving as advisor to the Purdue Student Government.
Baker is a member of the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association (CEFMA), the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) and Women in Sports and Entertainment (WISE).
