Washington Blade - December 17, 2004
Joe Crea, jcrea@washblade.com.

Roberta Geidner-Antoniotti, the clinic's managing director of operations, will serve as interim executive director and lead the organization through the transition while the search for a new leader is conducted by the board's executive committee, according to Brian Justice, associate executive director for public affairs and communication at Whitman-Walker.

The board met on Tuesday evening to review the executive director's annual contract when Baker made it clear that he wanted to leave the clinic, said Justice, who added the board had every intention of renewing Baker's contract.

Baker, who is HIV positive, said he chose to leave Whitman-Walker voluntarily, noting that he needed some time to take care of his health. He said that last year, his T-cell count dropped from 450 to 10, prompting his doctor to ask Baker to reconsider his current profession. Baker also expressed a desire to spend more time with family members and determine what he wants to do next in his life.

"Most soldiers get a chance to go home for a few weeks. ... I've worked solid for 14 years with few vacations here and there and some of those vacations I turned into work vacations," Baker said. "I just want a period of calm.

"My grandmother who was just in town is in her 80s, and I realized that at a certain point she is not going to be in my life forever. I can't take that thought. It makes me so distraught. One of the things I plan on doing is going down to Florida, getting on an Amtrak train with my grandmother and going off to see a bit of the world. That's really my only plan right now."

Baker added that while he's leaving the clinic, he's not "leaving the work" and promised to remain "totally committed to the lives of gay men and lesbians."

Baker is to remain at Whitman-Walker until the end of the month to help with the transition.

Rick Rosendall, vice president for political affairs for the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance, praised Baker's tenure at Whitman-Walker noting that he brought "impressive credentials" to the clinic.

"He was always a steady, sound voice in the community, especially regarding the [same-sex] marriage question," Rosendall said.

Under Baker's tenure, the clinic faced some tumultuous times. Baker recalled how Whitman-Walker struggled in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He lamented local HIV and AIDS funding woes in Maryland and Virginia and recalled the controversies surrounding the D.C. AIDS walk.

In addition to those events, the clinic has faced some financial problems in recent years. Early this summer, Whitman-Walker came close to shutting down its medical treatment program for people with HIV and AIDS until D.C.'s HIV/AIDS Administration agreed to reimburse the clinic for part of a $1.6 million grant to provide medical and social services to low income people with HIV.

Last September, the clinic announced a major initiative to offset a decline of $3.5 million in the last two years in private support from individuals, corporations and foundations. At the time, Steve Owen, the clinic's chief financial officer, said Whitman-Walker had to work to close a $1.4 million gap between the costs of providing services to clients and the clinic's income.

Baker said he was very proud of the staff at the clinic and noted that Whitman-Walker reduced its overall debt from $9 million to $3 million during his tenure.

Baker has served as executive director of the clinic since 2000. He assumed the post after the board demanded and received the resignation of Elliot Johnson, who was the clinic's executive director for six months. Johnson was forced to resign after the board concluded his management style was not effective.

Baker, who has been active in gay civil rights and AIDS-related causes since the 1970s, was the executive director of the National Association for People with AIDS from 1996 to 2000.

From 1985 to 1988, he served as research assistant and administrative assistant to D.C. Councilmember Carol Schwartz (R-At-Large), and the two remain close friends.

Schwartz could not be reached for comment by press time.

Baker was also one of the first known gay appointees during President George H.W. Bush's administration, when he worked on AIDS-related issues in the Department of Health & Human Services.

He also served as Schwartz's campaign manager for her D.C. mayoral bids in 1994 and 1998.

Once a Republican, he switched his party affiliation to Democrat saying he could no longer support the Republican Party's platform on gay rights and AIDS issues.

Baker said he is uncertain as to what, professionally speaking, is next in his life. He added that he plans to come back, "really engaged."

"I'll be gone only for a brief moment," Baker said. "It's just one brief moment."

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