Leadership Team

Beth Baker

Co-CEO & Founder

Beth Baker is the CEO & Co-Founder of WAY American School.

Beth served as an Education/School Reform Consultant for Wayne County RESA, providing leadership and technical assistance for 34 school districts and 350,000 students. She developed and implemented professional learning communities and grant opportunities for Models of Proficiencies and Standards Focused Project Based Learning and Assessment.

Baker provided leadership and assistance in the development of Michigan's pilot cyber school. She also served as a leader in the development of the New Tech High School Network in Michigan. Beth develops structures, strategies, and skills to effect organizational efforts resulting in healthy learning communities for young people and adults.

Tom Watkins

Partner - China

Tom Watkins has a rich and eclectic background centering around China, education, health, behavioral health, human services and business having worked in the private, nonprofit and government sectors. He has held major leadership positions in state government serving as the deputy chief of staff in the governors office, director of the state mental health system and state superintendent of schools for the State of Michigan in the USA. He had a lead role in creating the first charter school in

impoverished communities in Detroit, Michigan and Miami, Florida and assisting creating other such schools across America. He served as the special assistant to the president of Wayne State University and held academic appointments in the Colleges of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs, the School of Social Work and the College of Education. His first job out of college was to create a shelter for homeless youth, and has served in multiple capacities in local community mental health agencies from counselor, program director to president and CEO.

Mr. Watkins most recently served as the president and CEO one of the largest community behavior health organizations in the USA. He has also served in the private sector leading aprestigious business organization, the Economic Council in Palm Beach County, Florida/USA.

Tom Watkins has had a lifelong interest in China sparked by a great fourth grade teacher. He has worked for nearly four decades to build economic, educational and cultural ties between the US and China. He serves on the Michigan-China Innovation Center Advisory Board, is an adviser to the Detroit Chinese Business Association, China/US Exchange and served on the National Board of the Tai Initiative working to build connections and relationships between China and the US at the sub-national level.

Mr. Watkins is knowledge about China having travel extensively throughout the country and is a sought out“China expert” by media on both sides of the Pacific. He has authored hundreds of articles about all things China primarily centered around building cultural, educational and economic bridges between what he considers the most important bi-lateral relationship in the world today- the US and China. He believes all major issues in the world today will intersect at the corner of Beijing and Washington, DC. How are leaders address these issues will impact the people of America, China and all of humanity. Read some of his China thoughts here: CHINA US Focus

https://www.chinausfocus.com/author/84/tom-watkins.html

Mr. Watkins consults with numerous organization around health, education and business on both sides of the ocean. He currently is working to bring the best of Chinese and Western education to enhance the learning experience of Chinese students as China Partner and Managing Director, W-A-Y American School.