Navicore Welcomes Community Engagement Manager Kendrick Baker
8/1/2021
Born in New Haven, CT, Kendrick began his professional work within the Court Support Service Division (CSSD) of a local Alternative Incarceration Center called Project M.O.R.E. The focus was to reduce local recidivism through job readiness training and intervention services for returning citizens. Here is where he “found his voice.” Facilitating groups charged through Motivational Interviewing with an authentic style for “real talk rehabilitation.”
As the need for sustainable housing increased, Kendrick directed his focus developing curriculum to managing a pilot program (STRIVE-New Haven) for the local housing authority. This collaborative formed an inclusive network for low-income residents to maintain housing while earning livable wages with Smart Money management tools.
Kendrick later became a board member of the Urban Resource Initiative (URI) through the Yale School of Forestry. His holistic approach to community investment, paved the way for residents to earn seasonal income planting trees while contributing to their neighborhood landscape.
With a passion for youth development, Kendrick accepted a position as the Youth Resource Coordinator for the North Central Region of CT’s Workforce Investment Board. His efforts establish cross-sector partnerships to support programs serving youth in vulnerable neighborhoods. In this role, Kendrick served as the committee leader for the Hartford Opportunity Youth Council (HOYC), Compliance Monitor for the Hartford Data Collaborative (HDC) and Resource Navigator for the Juvenile Justice Review Board, Hartford Public Schools, and the Coalition to End Homelessness.
During the pandemic, Kendrick transitioned to the Community Engagement Coordinator, for a sector-based training program assisting essential business and under skilled workers with on-the-job training credentials. Kendrick is an advocate for inclusive leadership, especially in times like these. He often refers to one of his favorite quotes; “If everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot” {Ray Devine}