Higher Education

Managing Partner

Martin Baker

Martin has been in the executive search profession for 25 years and is based in our Winston-Salem, NC office. Martin is a Managing Partner of Buffkin / Baker and is the Head of the Higher Education Practice.

He previously worked in the Atlanta office of Korn Ferry, where he developed search strategy and executed searches for numerous senior level appointments. He began his career working in London, England as a Research Associate with Saxton Bampfylde, an executive search and management assessment firm.

Martin has conducted searches for the positions of Chancellor/President, Provost, CFO, CIO, Vice President, Dean, Director, and Professor, having worked on over 375 searches throughout his career. Martin has recently represented a number of AAU institutions, land-grant universities, faith-based institutions, liberal arts colleges, and regional universities, where he has led searches spanning most functions and academic disciplines.

Martin currently serves on the Parents’ Council at Wake Forest University and on the Board of Directors of Old Town Club. He previously served on the Board of Directors of SciWorks (The Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County in Winston-Salem), both the Alumni Council and the regional selection committee for the Presidential Scholarship at Wake Forest, and the Development Committee for the Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem. He recently served on the Athletics Advisory Council at Wake Forest.

Martin earned his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University.

Partner

Ken Carrick

Ken has managed numerous search engagements throughout his almost 40 years as a search consultant while cultivating a diverse roster of clients in the education, retail, nonprofit, manufacturing, healthcare, and government sectors. Ken was a student-athlete and graduated summa cum laude with a BA degree in accounting and business administration from Catawba College and earned an MBA from Wake Forest University.

Ken began his career as an accountant with Duke Energy and later worked for a national insurance company before entering the executive search profession. Prior to joining Buffkin / Baker, he served as president of a national retained search firm with dual headquarters in New York and Charlotte.

Ken currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and Museum where he holds the position of Treasurer and is a member of the Executive Committee. He recently completed a seven-year term as a director on the Mecklenburg County ABC Board where he chaired the Audit Committee and served as a member of the North Carolina Association of ABC Boards’ legislative committee. He previously served two terms as a member of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC)’s Council of the Americas board. Ken has been the President of the Catawba College Alumni Board, and on the boards of the Greenwood Genetic Center Foundation, Greater Carolina’s Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Covenant Day School.

He has also been involved with numerous volunteer service groups, including in the special needs community, and youth sports associations in the Charlotte area. He and his wife have three grown children.

Partner

Ann Yates

Ann Yates serves as a Partner in the Higher Education Practice. With a career spanning over two decades, she brings a commitment to quality client service and engagement, and an understanding of higher education and leadership.

Ann’s executive search career includes prior experience at two national executive search firms, most recently at ZRG Partners and before that at Witt/Kieffer where she served as a Senior Partner. She is well-versed in every area of academic leadership, enabling her to serve her clients broadly and across multiple functional areas. She has completed more than 300 executive-level searches throughout her career, including engagements for Presidents, Provosts, Deans, and Vice Presidents at leading public and private colleges and universities.

As a strategic partner, clients repeatedly rely on her expert counsel and aptitude for identifying talented, diverse, and dedicated leaders in mission-driven organizations. In particular, she brings a strong reputation for advancing women and candidates with diverse backgrounds.

Ann is a recognized thought leader, having contributed articles to the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education. Additionally, she has been an invited presenter at ACE Women’s Network and AACSB’s ICAM conference. She received her master’s degree in industrial psychology from the University of New Haven and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bethany College.

Ann resides in Virginia with her husband and two sons.

Associate Partner / Practice Operations

Chelsie Whitelock

Chelsie Whitelock, CDR, serves as an Associate Partner where she is a key member of the Higher Education Practice and Academic Medicine in the Healthcare Practice. Chelsie, bringing 16 years of experience in Higher Education, joined the firm from Vanderbilt University, where she had several roles, including overseeing the Chancellor’s Faculty Fellows Program, managing the administrative staff of the Faculty Senate Office, and leading the recruitment of staff within Academic Affairs.​ Additionally, she is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques enables our recruiters to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet.​

Prior to Vanderbilt, Chelsie was the Faculty Recruitment Manager in the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley. In this role, she was responsible for the recruitment process for all faculty hires within the Haas School of Business, overseeing the full lifecycle recruitment process and onboarding of new faculty members.

Chelsie graduated from Robert Morris University with a degree in Business Administration and Management. She relocated to Nashville in the summer of 2013 with her husband, Andrew, and their son, Finnegan.

Associate Partner, Higher Education

Janny DeLoache

Janny DeLoache, CDR, serves as an Associate Partner in the Higher Education Practice. For over 20 years, she has provided research, sourcing, and candidate development on numerous search engagements, with a particular focus in the areas of education, nonprofit, and governmental entities as well as sales and marketing. She also is active in client relations, consultations, and assisting clients with neutral site interviews. Additionally, she is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques enables our recruiters to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet.​ Janny attended Converse College, where she earned a BFA degree with honors and an MEd degree. Early in her career, she served as an Admissions Counselor and as Assistant Dean of Students at Converse, and later as Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology. She also worked in account services as Vice President for Marketing Outreach, Inc. in Atlanta, and as a Southeast Regional Manager for New York-based, US Concepts, Inc. Both firms specialized in the execution of marketing campaigns, sales/retail promotions, and special events for Fortune 500 firms.

Janny is a member of the Mint Museum Auxiliary, the Junior League, as well as an ENCORE! Life Member at the Children’s Theater of Charlotte. She has served on the Converse Alumnae Board and the Wofford College’s Parent Advisory Council. A recipient of the Converse 100 Award, Janny and her husband have two grown children.

Associate Partner

Diane Fennig

Diane Fennig is an Associate Partner and a passionate connector at the intersection of opportunities and talent. With over 30 years of experience in universities and higher education systems, she has built a strong career foundation.

Diane remains a curious student, and her expertise in search and talent development, combined with her extensive network, forms the essential ingredients of her “secret sauce” for success. Her approach is further enriched by a generous serving of passion, grace, and gratitude.

Diane’s dedication to education is reflected in her academic achievements, which include a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology/Secondary Education from Marquette University, a Master of Science degree in College Student Personnel from Miami University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership/Organizational Behavior from the University of South Carolina. Over the past decade, she has also been actively involved with professional associations such as WACUBO and the Forté Foundation.

Senior Associate

Sharon Hansen

Sharon Hansen is a Senior Associate in Buffkin/Baker’s Higher Education Practice. She brings more than twenty years of experience in higher education administration and executive search, with a career dedicated to supporting mission-driven institutions and the leaders who serve them.

Sharon’s previous executive search work includes over three years with Isaacson, Miller, where she specialized in senior leadership searches for leading national academic institutions, research universities, and prominent nonprofit organizations. Her placements include academic deans, presidents and CEOs, and senior administrative leaders across disciplines such as business, engineering, veterinary medicine, health professions, arts and sciences, and public affairs. Sharon also served as an executive search consultant to several boutique retained search firms specializing in education, advancement, and nonprofit leadership, further deepening her experience across a broad range of academic and administrative roles.

Most recently, Sharon was a Senior Associate with N2Growth, a global executive search firm recognized for complex and confidential board, CEO, and C-suite engagements. Her work at N2Growth strengthened her ability to advise clients on market dynamics, candidate evaluation, and inclusive search processes—capabilities she brings directly to her higher education clients.

Earlier in her career, Sharon held progressively senior roles in Career Services at highly selective liberal arts colleges including Haverford College, Bryn Mawr College, and Ursinus College where she led the Career and Professional Development office as Director. Her extensive campus-based experience provides her with a deep understanding of institutional culture, shared governance, and the leadership demands facing colleges and universities today.

Sharon holds a Master of Science in Education in College Student Development from Alfred University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from SUNY Fredonia.

Associate

Dinah DeWitt

Dinah DeWitt joined Buffkin/Baker in 2023 and serves as an Associate with the Higher Education Practice. She has a genuine love for people and desire to help them navigate their professional journeys.

Her passion for higher education and recruiting was formed during her time at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, where she served as a member of the Admissions and Career Management Center teams, as well as a Campus Recruiter for the Master of Accountancy program. After eight years at Vanderbilt, she continued to enhance her recruiting skillset at Ernst & Young as the Talent Management Recruiter for accounting profiles in the Southeast region within Campus Recruiting.

A Nashville native, Dinah now lives in the surrounding Washington, D.C. area with her husband and their young son, Henry. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family, architectural photography, traveling, baking new recipes, and exploring D.C. She earned her degree in Spanish from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee.

Research Manager

Dani Reiser

Danielle Reiser joined Buffkin / Baker in early 2022 as the Research Manager in the Higher Education Practice. She brings 10+ years of operational management experience in supporting the development, diligence, and execution of search activities in support of Partner teams and the firm. Previously, Dani worked as a marketing coordinator after earning her degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing at Southern New Hampshire University. Dani and her husband recently relocated from Central Illinois to Nashville where they enjoy the great outdoors, live music, and trying new cuisines.

Senior Project Coordinator

Kim Trama

Kim joined Buffkin/Baker in 2017 as an Administrative Assistant in the Higher Education practice. Before relocating to Nashville, Kim and her family lived in New York where she enjoyed a professional music career. She received a degree in paralegal studies and began her law experience in legal administrative management and family law in 2010.

Kim enjoys hiking, playing music, cooking, traveling, and visiting with her extended family. She has two children, Nick and Alyssa.

Project Coordinator

Skyler Heithcock

Skyler Heithcock joined Buffkin / Baker in early 2026 as Project Coordinator for the Higher Education Practice. She was born and raised in Nashville and holds a Bachelor of Science from Auburn University. Bringing valuable recruitment experience from her previous role, Skyler leverages her industry insight to streamline search operations and support the firm’s academic leadership engagements. Outside of her role here, Skyler is currently renovating a house with her fiancé and is looking forward to her upcoming wedding this March.