Leadership

Wendi Baker

Wendi Baker

Principal and COO
In her over two decades of experience in the San Francisco Bay Area real estate and planning industry, Wendi has overseen the development of multiple communities. Her expertise ranges from acquisition to sales for complex projects throughout Silicon Valley.
Read more
Overview

Wendi Baker is president and chief operating officer of Harmonie Park Development, a leading real estate development company focused on creating thriving, mixed-use communities in high-barrier-to-entry markets. Ms. Baker brings over two decades of experience in the greater San Francisco Bay Area real estate and planning industry. In her current role, she oversees the firm’s existing projects, client services, strategic business development, property acquisition and its daily operations.

As part of Harmonie Park’s development services, Ms. Baker leads the firm in representing local, national and international developers in securing challenging entitlements for high-visibility Bay Area projects, totaling over 2,800 homes, and 5 million square feet of office, 300,000 square feet of retail and 20,000 square feet of daycare space. Clients include renowned companies such as Grosvenor, Genzon and Lowe.

Ms. Baker is well-versed in all aspects of development oversight. In her previous role at SummerHill Homes, one of the most well-respected home-building companies, she led its East Bay development team in creating and managing a diverse pipeline portfolio of more than $1.5 billion. Throughout her career, Ms. Baker has shown a dedication to developing walkable, sustainable, mixed-use, for-sale and for-rent communities. Her expertise is an asset in ensuring value enhancement and maximizing complex development work that incorporates smart growth principles.

Ms. Baker is a sought-after speaker and panelist on real estate development and is active in numerous community and business organizations, including the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Chamber San Mateo County, San Mateo County Economic Development Association, Urban Land Institute and YIMBY Action.

She received her Master of Urban and Regional Planning from San Jose State University and has a Bachelor of Arts with magna cum laude honors with a major in economics and geography from Syracuse University.

Experience

Professional Experience

Harmonie Park Development Company
Principal – 2017 – Present

SummerHill Homes
Vice President of Development – 2013 – 2017
Director of Development – 2011 – 2013
Land Acquisition Manager – 2007 – 2011
Associate Development Manager – 2005 – 2007

HMH Engineers
Associate Planner – 2004 – 2005

NSA Wireless
Assistant Land Acquisition and Planning Manager August – 2000 – 2004

Entitlements & Political Strategy

  • Oversaw successful discretionary entitlement for 410-acre Magee Ranch Property in Danville, California. Conducted extensive political and neighborhood outreach, property owner negotiations, budget updates and review, California Environmental Quality Act oversight, architectural development and coordination with a variety of consultants resulting in the approval of 69 single-family estate lots. In addition, worked with the Town of Danville and open space agencies for the creation and long-term private funding of over 376 acres of permanent public open space on the 410-acre development.
    • Spearheaded an acquisition and entitlement partnership for North 40 property in Los Gatos, California; partnering with Grosvenor Americas, an international property group, and Eden Housing, an affordable housing developer, for a mixed-use development of 320 residential units and approximately 66,000 square feet of commercial space. Obtained approval of Specific Plan in 2015, EIR and project-related entitlements.
    • Participated in successful entitlement on a diversity of projects in Fremont, California, including 30 estate homes on six acres in Mission San Jose; 91 podium condominiums, 78 townhomes, and 200 podium apartments in Fremont’s Downtown Area Plan and106 single-family and townhomes on 10 acres, Supported the entitlement strategy for 210 single-family and duet homes on 40 acres in Union City, California, 700 apartments on 10 acres in Milpitas, and 435 townhomes and flats in Livermore.
    • Urban Land Institute member and Co-Chair for Housing the Bay’s Cost of Construction Committee. Former Co-Chair of San Francisco Sustainability Committee
    • 10 acres in San Jose (110 single-family dwelling units)

Membership & Activities

  • Sought-after speaker and panelist on real estate development
  • Urban Land Institute and Co-Chair of San Francisco Sustainability
  • Committee and Housing The Bay Summit
  • Bay Area Women Executive Series, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
  • Measure B for Santa Clara County Transportation Sales Tax

Transactional Experience

Acquired key properties in the Bay Area, including:

• 14 acres in Los Gatos (253 townhomes and flats)

• 10 acres in San Jose (110 single family dwelling units)

• 12 acres in Evergreen San Jose (160 single family dwelling and townhome units)

• Eight acres in Sunnyvale (120 townhomes and two-acre hotel site)

Education

San Jose State University
San Jose, California
Masters in Urban and Regional Planning

Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Bachelor of Arts with Magna Cum Laude Honors
Major in Environmental Geography and Economics
Minor in Anthropology

Contact

If you are interested in talking to us about a new project, please send us a message.

Start a Project