Baker College of Flint names new president to succeed Princinsky

Baker College of Flint Board of Regents has announced that Wendy “Wen” Hemingway will become president of Baker College of Flint when Dr. Julianne Princinsky retires Aug. 31, 2014. Hemingway will join Baker College on Jan. 2, 2014, to serve as chief operating officer during the transition.

Following a 20-year career in retail and commercial banking, Hemingway has spent the past six years in entrepreneurial endeavors, including manufacturing, consulting and leading a real estate company she founded.

“It’s difficult to imagine Baker College of Flint without Dr. Princinsky,” said F. James Cummins, Baker College System president. “She has advanced the college in many ways during her 18-year tenure as president. However, Ms. Hemingway possesses outstanding executive abilities and is well suited to leverage her corporate and entrepreneurial experience to benefit Baker College and its single, focused goal of preparing others for meaningful careers.”

Hemingway held positions in the retail and commercial divisions of NBD, National City Corporation, Fifth Third Bank and Citizens Banking Corporation, where she advanced to senior vice president-director of commercial sales.

In 2008, she turned to entrepreneurial interests. She helped launch and manage Shadowood Technology, a retrofitter of diesel engines developing an emerging technology. As an independent consultant, she specialized in mergers and acquisitions, educational board retreats, product development, vendor management, revenue growth and cost-containment strategies. Hemingway also led Shadowood Properties, a real estate company she founded.

“I am honored to become a part of more than a century of tradition in providing the most focused approach to education and training available,” Hemingway said. “I look forward to continuing the work necessary for our graduates to be successful throughout challenging and rewarding careers.”

Hemingway is well known to the Baker College community.  She has served as a member of the Baker College of Flint Board of Regents since 2006 and as chairperson since 2008.  She has also been a trustee for the Baker College system since 2008 and a director of the Jewell Educational Fund for the past two years.

Hemingway earned an MBA in accounting from Wayne State University. At Oakland University, she received a Bachelor of Science in human resource development with a specialization in training and development and a minor in management with a concentration in labor studies. She is also a certified treasury professional (CTP) as designated by the Association for Financial Professionals. A Mayville, Mich. native, she resides in Lapeer County.

As a trustee for McLaren Oakland, Hemingway serves as board treasurer, chair of the finance committee and a member of the audit committee.

Princinsky’s tenure with Baker College of Flint spans 38 years, beginning in 1976 as an instructor. She became president in 1995. Under her tutelage, Baker's enrollment has grown from nearly 3,300 to more than 5,000 students today. She was the first female president of a Flint-based college and the first woman president within the Baker College system.

Baker College of Flint is the largest of the 12 Baker College campuses. It employs more than 600 instructors, staff and other support personnel at three locations: the 40-acre main campus on Flint’s southern border; the Center for Transportation Technology at I-69 and Dort Highway on 11 acres in the City of Flint; and a satellite campus in Cass City, 75 miles northeast of Flint.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a nonprofit higher education institution, serving more than 35,000 students on 12 campuses and in three satellite locations. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, health sciences, education and human services, and various technical fields, as well as a doctorate of business administration. As a career college, the Baker College system is pleased to report that 97 percent of its available graduates are employed. For more information about Baker College, please check out our website at www.baker.edu.