New DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baake Starts September 25

UMass Lowell Administrator Will Take Over Atop DCAMM
 

Sources: State House News Service (Sam Drysdale/SHNS) and other sources.

On August 25, 2023, Gov. Maura Healey announced that Adam Baake, an administrator from UMass Lowell will be her new commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance. Adam Baacke is currently the assistant vice chancellor for campus development at UMass Lowell and will move to DCAMM on September 25, 2023. DCAMM is the state's agency in charge of capital planning, public building construction, facilities management and real estate services.

Adam Baacke worked at UMass Lowell for nine years, starting as the director of campus planning and development in 2014. Prior to that, he worked for the City of Lowell for 14 years, first as the chief planner, then as the assistant city manager for seven years. As assistant vice chancellor for campus development, Baacke planned a one million square foot mixed-use development through a public-private partnership on the university's east campus, according to Healey's office. He also handled a portfolio of planning and capital projects that exceeded $150 million for the university. While working for the City of Lowell, Baacke oversaw the city's long-range planning and development, including Lowell's 15-acre, two million square foot mixed-use redevelopment of the Hamilton Canal District and the establishment of a $6.7 million program working with private and federal funds to retrofit historic buildings in the city for energy efficiency, Healey's office says. As DCAMM commissioner, Baacke will oversee the state's portfolio of assets and future capital projects. The agency manages over $3 billion in capital projects, and its assets total over 65 million square feet.

"Adam's experience and success working in a Gateway City like Lowell and then at UMass make him uniquely qualified to take on the challenge of leading DCAMM. Whether it's maintaining the assets we have or helping cities and campuses unlock their potential through state development, I look forward to partnering with Adam on the work ahead," Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said in a statement.

Baacke has a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a master's degree in public affairs from UMass Boston. He has also chaired Lowell's Community Preservation Committee, served on the executive committee of the local real estate development nonprofit Coalition for a Better Acre, and worked as a design critic in urban planning and design at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, according to his LinkedIn.

ACEC/MA has had a strong working relationship with retiring Commissioner Carol Gladstone and her team. We wish Commissioner Gladstone the very best in her future endeavors.