Patrick Baker is an accomplished producer and film executive dedicated to developing and producing high quality film, TV, and documentary projects. Never one to limit himself or his audience, his work and interests has always been defined by a desire to tap a wide spectrum of genres.
Most recently, Baker produced Honeymoon starring Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) for Magnolia Pictures. He executive produced The Art of Getting By starring Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts for Fox Searchlight. Prior to that, Baker executive produced It’s Kind of a Funny Story starring Zach Galifianakis for Focus Features, and produced Fighting starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard for Rogue Pictures. As an independent producer, Baker has premiered films at the Sundance Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival.
During his tenure for Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures based Misher Films, Baker was responsible for overseeing the company’s myriad projects. Among the many films that Baker developed and oversaw throughout his career there are The Rundown, directed by Peter Berg and starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Seann William Scott and Christopher Walken.
Born in London and raised in New York City, Baker earned a degree in African-American studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His first job in the entertainment industry was working on a BBC documentary filmed in New York City entitled Hookers, Hustlers, Pimps and their Johns. He landed his next job at Cronkite, Ward and Company, a TV-based production company run by legendary journalist Walter Cronkite where he co-produced One Family: Why We Should Care for NJN network. His talent for identifying salient issues and story-telling potential subsequently convinced journalist Bill Moyers to join him in his next endeavor: an Emmy winning PBS project, Savage Inequalities: Children In America’s Schools about the inequalities in public school education.
After completing the PBS documentary, Baker relocated to Los Angeles where he co-wrote the feature screenplay, I Love This Game for Paramount Pictures and City Kids for Demi Moore’s Moving Pictures based at Warner Bros. He later segued into the executive suite where he began his feature film career working with director Barry Levinson and producer Paula Weinstein at their Warner-Bros based production company, Baltimore Spring Creek Productions. Films he oversaw as director of development included The Perfect Storm, Liberty Heights and Analyze This.
When he’s not developing and producing movies, Baker is a social justice advocate, serves as a mentor experienced in filmed entertainment, and is an endurance athlete with over forty races completed, including the Ford Ironman World Championship where he nearly placed dead last. He enjoys playing the harmonica (badly) and spending time with his seven year-old son Otis who he named after a character from one of his favorite films, Animal House.
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Cal LaRoche, a brilliant and dedicated advisor and champion of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, who left us on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.
Born in New York in January 1946, Cal graduated from Central State University in Ohio, where he joined the Eta Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. His career spanned decades of leadership and innovation, beginning at the National Security Agency and continuing through key roles at IBM, SkyTel Communications, and The Orkand Corporation.
A visionary entrepreneur, Cal later co-founded DC Ventures and Associates.
His commitment to service was unwavering. Cal chaired the Boards of Trustees at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and Norwood School and served with distinction for 15 years on the Advisory Board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. His leadership extended to the Beta Mu, Boulé Foundation Board, where he served as Chair, and to Patients For Affordable Drugs, where he was a founding board member and Treasurer.
An avid golfer and advocate for equity in the sport, Cal co-founded the Pro-Duffer/Carter Foundation Scholarship to promote diversity in golf. A long-time member of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he was as passionate about creating opportunity as he was about the game itself.
Cal’s legacy is carried on by his beloved family: his mother, Lucille “Gloria” David; his wife, Esperanza, and their sons, CJ and Ethan; his former wife, Cheryl LaRoche; their daughters, Gina LaRoche, Renee LaRoche-Morris, and Danielle LaRoche; six grandchildren; and his siblings. His wisdom, warmth, and unwavering belief in the potential of young people will remain an enduring part of the Ron Brown Scholar community.
We are forever grateful for Cal’s enduring support, leadership, and love. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence, generosity, and deep humanity. He will be deeply missed.
