Biography

The Baker Family - (Left) Grant Baker with dad; (Middle) Kaylinn Baker and dad; (Right) Brian and Kristen Baker

Brian Baker was elected to the Cass County Commission as an Associate Commissioner (District 2) in 2008. He serves the northern area of Cass (Belton, Raymore, Winnebago, and Loch Lloyd).

He spent 2003-2008 serving Cass County as the State Representative of the 123rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to the House in November 2002.

Rep. Baker has been a leader in education and small business issues. He is a co-author of the "Successful Schools Funding Model" - the new funding formula for K-12 public schools. He is also the author of the "Small Business Regulatory Fairness Act" which was signed into law in 2004. During his service in the Missouri House he has served on the Elections Committee, the Small Business Committee, and the Education-Appropriations Committee. In 2005 he served as Chairman of the Committee on Education Funding and in 2006 served as Chairman of the Committee on Student Achievement & Finance. Currently, Rep. Baker serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Education-Appropriations Committee. He aslo serves on the Committee on Rural Development and the Committee on Urban Education Reform.

In April 2001 he was elected to the Belton Board where he served on the Transportation Review Committee and as the Park Board liaison. He served the City of Belton until he was sworn into office in the Missouri Legislature in January of 2003.

Currenlty, as an Associate Commissioner of Cass County, he oversees the Health Department, 911 Services, County Public Relations, Legisaltive Issues, and serves as a board member of the Missouri Association of Counties.

In addition to his legislative duties, Brian is in his 16th year as the ministry director for Heartland Family Ministries: The First Baptist Church of Belton. He also coaches high school girls basketball Class 1.

Brian is very active in the community and is involved with the following organizations:

The First Baptist Church of Belton
FBC Student LIFE Ministries, Founder
Belton Corporation for Economic Development
Belton Chamber of Commerce
Raymore Chamber of Commerce
Cass Coalition of Chambers
Belton CARES – anti-drug team
Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club
Cass County Republican Club
Cass County Republican Committee
Christian Life Commission - Missouri Baptist Convention
2004 Belton School District Budget Oversight Committee.
Former member Cass County CHART – Community Health Assessment Resource Team

Brian has been recognized as an active servant of the community.

2008 Missouri Fire-fighters Association Honoree
2007 Parent's As Teachers - "A Better Missouri for Children" Award
2007 NFIB Guardian of Small Businesses Award
2006 Friend of Agriculture Award - Missouri Farm Bureau
2006 Panelist of the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislators) Educational Techonoly Conference
2005 Panelist for the US Federal Reserve Bank Education Symposium
2005 Recipient of the BCED "Belton is the Place to Bee" Award
2004 Recipient of the ACTE (Technical Educators) Legislator of the Year.
2004 HERO of Education Listed by MASA (Missouri Association of School Administrators).
2001-2003 Belton Alderman Appreication Award.
1999 Recipient Scottish Highland Service Shield - Awarded by the Highland Council of Scotland
Five & Ten Year Service Award from the First Baptist Church of Belton
1998 inductee in the Heartland High School Hall of Fame.
1992 Belton Youth of the Year award

Brian has lived in the Belton / Raymore area for over 25 years. He attended Cambridge Elemenatry School in the Belton School District. In 1992 he graduated from Heartland High School & Academy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature, with a minor in psychology from Central Missouri State University in 1998. He graduated with a master’s degree in religious studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2003.

Rep. Baker lives in Belton with his wife, Kristen and their three children: Kaylinn, Grant, and Addison.