Chicago's Austin Baidas named chair of Albion College Board of Trustees
The 1992 graduate-a longtime Chicago business and civic leader who has endowed a scholarship for Albion students from the city-takes the helm of the College's governing board
Albion, MI (07/01/2026) — For more than 30 years, Chicago's Austin Baidas has found ways to stay close to the college that shaped him. He has welcomed incoming Chicagoland students and alumni to summer barbecues at his home, endowed a scholarship for Albion students from Chicago, returned to campus as a visiting scholar, and, since 2021, served on the Board of Trustees. This July, he steps into the Board's top leadership role as chair.
Baidas points to the presidential search as a turning point in his commitment to the board. "I was on the search committee for President Wayne Webster. I think President Webster is fantastic, and I want to be able to work with him to make the college successful," he said. "And the Board of Trustees fully supports his vision for the future of the college and the changes that he's been making over the last three years to make sure that the college is viable for the long term, with all the changes that are going on right now in higher ed."
He brings a strong professional resume. Baidas earned his degree in economics and management and was a member of the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management before building a business career as an executive across Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. He held leadership roles in Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's 2010 campaign and in state government, and later served as a senior advisor for pipeline and hazardous materials safety in the Obama Administration. He has also served on a wide range of nonprofit boards spanning health care to homebuilding, and in 2025, Crain's Chicago Business named him one of the city's Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders.
Baidas sees his job as chair less as steering than as listening. "We have a lot of financial talent on the board. The board chair represents the whole group," he said. "And my job is to make sure all the voices are heard, because we have so many super smart people in the room. We're going to come up with really good solutions, just because of the caliber of people involved."
His own undergraduate years remain a touchstone. "I had an incredible experience on campus. The faculty who taught me were incredibly talented, and the faculty knew their students, and they knew how to push their students, how to get the best out of their students," he recalled. "At Albion, you couldn't skate by. You couldn't sit in the back of the classroom with your baseball hat on and hide away. The professors knew who you are, and they knew how to push you to reach your potential."
Two Chicago internships during college ultimately set the course for where he would build his life and career. "That experiential learning, being hands-on and getting to take what I was learning in the classroom and putting it to use, was really key to where I ended up," he said. As chair, he hopes to help today's students find that same kind of formative experience.
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About Albion College
Albion College is a top-ranked, top-value liberal arts college and one of Michigan's three original chartered institutions of higher learning. Named a 2025 Carnegie Opportunity College and University-one of just 10 nationwide-Albion guarantees real-world learning for every student and the skills sought after by employers, from internships, consulting, community service, and mentored research to clinical placements and global study, across more than 80 areas of study. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and dedicated advising before classes begin, Albion delivers results: 98% of graduates are employed, in graduate school, or in service programs within six months, and pre-med students enjoy a 96% medical school acceptance rate-among the highest in the state. The walkable campus sits on the Kalamazoo River, with 24 highly-competitive Division III sports, 100+ student-led clubs and organizations, active Greek Life, and its own Amtrak stop.
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