Oliver L. Baines, III

Oliver Baines was an original Board Member at CVNMTC's inception and was on the board for nine years, During that time, he actively sourced deals from the Fresno area and was involved in the Board approval process for CVNMTC’s investments of $95M of Allocation with $140M in project costs. In 2019, he transitioned to the role of President and CEO of CVNMTC.

Mr. Baines is a resident of Fresno since 1994 with an extensive record of community service. His professional career began in law enforcement as a police officer for the Fresno Police Department. During his 11 years as a Fresno Police officer, he was a highly decorated officer, receiving two Life-Saving Medals, 2008 Officer of The Year recognition, Chief’s Commendations, and multiple Peer Commendations. Mr. Baines’ experience in community policing caused him to run and become a Council member for the City of Fresno, representing District 3 from 2011 to 2019.

During this time as Councilmember, he was active in many programs addressing the economic, social, and environmental problems afflicting Fresno, including the Workforce Investment Board, the Fresno Works, the San Joaquin Valley Air Board District, the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Fresno, along with numerous community-based programs.

After Mr. Baines finished his two terms at the Fresno City Council, he stayed closely tied to the issues facing LIC residents. He founded the Valley Apprenticeship Connections (VAC), a workforce development program that intentionally and strategically recruits the hardest to serve residents in the Central Valley. Over 90% of the students come from LICs. This program prepares men and women from challenged neighborhoods to serve populations in the Fresno Region for a career in the construction trades. Since 2016, the VAC has put over 379 students to work with wages averaging over $21/hour, and high employment retainment.

Mr. Baines recently served as the Chair of the Fresno Commission on Police Reform and acting as mediator on behalf of community residents on a multitude of land use issues that face LICs.  He is also requested to speak at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workshops and seminars.