Press Release

Emanual Baker Jr.

This article describes Emanual Baker Jr. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: "Successes Built Upon Education Degree from ECU," ECU Report, Volume XIII, No. 3, April 1981.

"I came away from East Carolina University with a superior education and a level of self-confidence knowing I could compete with other educated people," Emanuel A. Baker, Jr. offered during a recent interview.
And compete he has, for today he is the president and chief executive officer of one of the most prominent real estate firms in the Washington D.C. area. Town & Country Properties, Inc. is a full-service real estate company Al's father began in 1950.Living in Alexandria, Virginia at that time, Al didn't have business on his mind, but knew he wanted to be a teacher.Upon the advice of his high school guidance counselor, Al and his parents visited the ECU campus and were favorably impressed.
"I have few regrets that I didn't major in business, because I treasure what came with the education degree," said Al. "While on campus, I thought some of the courses were inappropriate, like art and music appreciation, some of the P.E. courses, but looking back I realize I enjoy things now that maybe I wouldn't without that "forced" exposure.His counsel to present-day students is to look at what is offered and maximize the opportunities and in the end walk away a better person.
Al feels the level of instruction at ECU was superior. "I was being taught by Ph.D.'s and professors with many years of experience, and people from my high school class who went to larger schools could not cite the same experience."
Being able to communicate, both orally and in writing, are tools of the trade for Al and he feels his teacher training, down to the organization in the lesson plan concept, and the ability to present oneself in front of a group, such in public speaking classes, have given him a foundation for his present position.
Al graduated from ECU in 1965 intent on locating a teaching position in the Washington area.While an undergraduate, he married Janet Pelt of Goldsboro and they had a child, so when a teaching position was not forthcoming, he began working for his father's firm selling residential real estate property.He was director of residential property management for eight years, before becoming executive vice president withoverall responsibilities for the management of the company.When his father died in 1975, Al took over all operations of the company.
Town & Country has 22 branch offices with over 1200 sales associates. Along with the responsibility of this operation, Al is chairman of the board for two wholly owned subsidiaries, an insurance agency and a mortgage and investment corporation. For the past five years he has served on the arbitration committee for the Northern Virginia Board of Realtor and is presently chairman of that committee.He is also a board member of the First American Bank of Virginia and our own Alumni Association Board of Directors.
With his many commitments in the business world, Al has found time for teaching. He was a marketing instructor for the Northern Virginia Community College and taught real esate residential financing for distributive education in Northern Virginia.He created and teaches an ethics course at Town & Country which emphasizes the profesionalism of the realtor's conduct, attitude, and proper techniques.IN 1979 the Northern Virginia Board of Realtors awarded him the Ethics Award.
Intent on a high level of customer satisfaction, Al explained that the in-house training program is a vital ingredient to the success his firm has enjoyed.One measure of this success was the 1978 "Excellence Award for Customer Relations" awarded by the Consumer Research Bureau, which is a nation-wide organization dedicated to the improvement of the quality of business services to the public.
Al is an active member in his church and community and has recently become directly involved with his alma mater.He began his term on the Board of Directors in 1980 and is grateful for each opportunity to return to campus. "It does take time, but there is an excitement in being a part of what is happening and that makes it very worthwhile," said Al. "I'm impressed with the programs at ECU -- what we have to sell -- and I feel an active alumni population is a great resource for the University." Frequently in his work Al comes in contact with families making decisions about college choices and he feels as an informed alumnus, he can direct potential students to the school he holds in high esteem.
Why would anyone with a calendar as full as Al Baker's take on more obligations serving on the Alumni Board of Directors? "We all have an obligation to put something back to the community," said Al."If we all put a little back, the burden wouldn't fall on the few."