Laurie Baker
After graduating from Sam Houston State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Laurie Baker started her career in medical research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While she was in the Washington, D.C., area, she went on to pursue her master’s degree in finance and investment at George Washington University and decided to move into the investment group at the nonprofit medical institution.
Laurie Baker, executive vice president of operations, Camden Property Trust
It wasn’t until Baker had her first child did she decide to move back to her hometown of Houston, where a family connection brought her into the multifamily industry. She often states “the multifamily industry allowed me to come back home.”
Baker spent her first few years in the industry at Walden Residential Properties and eventually discovered nearby Camden Property Trust.
“It was a great place for me to take the skills I had from my nine years working for Howard Hughes and my five years in multifamily,” says Baker. “I kind of grew up, even though I came in late, at a time that the industry was becoming much more sophisticated and a really vital platform for capital dollars.”
Today, she celebrates over 20 years with the company, which has 165 communities and 56,300-plus apartment homes across the U.S., and serves as the executive vice president of operations, where she is responsible for the oversight and strategy of Camden’s portfolio operations and investment funds.
During her career, Baker has served as the executive sponsor for Camden’s technology initiative, which included the rollout of web-based property management software, revenue management strategies, and several web-based solutions. She’s also held other positions including senior vice president of fund and asset management, where she led the creation and management of Camden’s first investment funds.
“I’m very fortunate that I ended up at a company where culture is a priority,” continues Baker. “It’s been a fun environment, and very rewarding, to be able to not just contribute internally, but contribute to the industry overall.”
Outside of Camden, Baker serves on the Executive Committee for the National Multifamily Housing Council and is vice chair of ULI’s Multifamily Bronze Council. Previously, she was the 2016 president of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Network, a past president for CREW Houston, and has been honored in the state of Texas as a top woman in commercial real estate.
