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Meet Our Team
The People Behind Galaxy Draperies!

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

Rick Baker

Chief Executive Officer
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

LinkedIn

Rick Baker is the CEO and visionary of Galaxy Draperies, which has been in business in the Greater Los Angeles area since 1976 when his mother Muriel founded it. Having grown up in the window covering industry, Rick has worked every role he asks his staff to, giving him invaluable knowledge of the industry and day-to-day challenges. From picking up pins the seamstresses drop, installing custom draperies and window coverings, to being out in the field selling quality designs to customers, Rick’s journey has been one of attention to detail combined with supreme customer service. He was recently awarded “Member of the Year” from Exciting Windows, one of the industry groups he is a part of to learn from and mentor other business owners. Rick is also certified as a color specialist by PPG Industries, a global paint and coatings industry leader. He prides himself on his ability to not hide from mistakes but use them as learning opportunities for himself, his team, and the business owners he helps mentor. Rick’s wife and three children all work in the family business alongside him, and he enjoys spending as much as time as possible with his grandchildren outside of work, often under the awning of his home with a book in hand and grandchild in his lap.

Diane Baker

Chief Financial Officer
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

After Rick and Diane met, Diane joined Galaxy Draperies as a designer, helping clients create beautiful, personalized solutions for their homes with a focus on truly personable and enjoyable business relationships and customer experiences. Diane’s attention to detail, over 40 years’ experience working with Galaxy, and desire to exit the field of design to make way for our new designers lead her to taking over the finance department and ensuring that all Ts are crossed and Is dotted. She manages relationships with various vendors, manufacturers, and of course processes customer payments and payroll with an eagle eye. Diane’s work ethic is only matched by her dedication to her children, who now have children of their own who she loves to spend plenty of time playing with and caring for when she’s not at Galaxy.


David Baker

Chief Operations Officer
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

LinkedIn

David is the eldest son of Rick and Diane and the first member of the third generation of the family to join Galaxy Draperies. While David worked in the family business during his high school years, he left to pursue higher education and valuable experience outside of Galaxy Draperies and California, including acquiring a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Colorado State University with a minor in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. When David returned to Galaxy as the Director of Operations, he aided in evolving the company to be more modern and tech-savvy, utilizing his own knowledge and passion for modern tech to help streamline customer experiences, data tracking, and utilization. David continues to keep Galaxy at the forefront of capabilities that enhance operations, insight, and customer experience regularly, ensuring all departments run smoothly with the tools needed to succeed and excel. In his free time, David spends most of his time with his wife and young daughter, taking her on adventures and trying in vain to quell her sass.

Debbie Snider

General Manager
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

LinkedIn

Debbie came to Galaxy Draperies as a Design Consultant after more than 15 years’ experience running her successful custom shutter business, and 13 years’ of owning a garment manufacturing business. Debbie also attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to enhance her knowledge of tactile applications in fashion. Within a short time, it was clear Debbie’s expertise and skillset made her ideal for our Director of Sales position. Debbie coaches our Design Consultants with a combination of professional knowledge and hands-on experience to provide superb quality customer experiences and insight into customers’ needs, while respecting business needs and learning advanced sales techniques. Debbie prides herself on her ability to learn every single day independently and from her own team’s successes and losses, to create a team that embraces learning from each other’s experiences with a positive culture. Debbie and her husband spend extensive time with their dogs, and as road cyclists in her free time. Debbie herself has completed three Century Rides!


Dr. James Stryker EdD, SHRM-SCP

Director of Human Resources
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

LinkedIn

James has excelled for over 15 years in practicing change management strategies, using systems thinking and needs analysis tools, and creating healthy, safe, and productive work environments through workforce psychology. With a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, a master’s degree in the Science of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and a bachelor’s degree in the Science of Human Resource Management, among many other highly esteemed certifications within his field, James has displayed extensive knowledge and compassion in his role at Galaxy Draperies. He advocates strongly for making team building and workforce development a lynchpin for internal success, and places inclusion, empathy, and strategic yet creative solutions at the forefront of every task. His recruiting efforts showcase his skills by bringing in high-quality candidates in a fraction of the time and cost of average businesses, with higher retention and diversity than national averages. This mindset also allows James to be an excellent manager of our internal training department, leading the team in creating and implementing organizational learning curriculums, initiatives, and innovations from evidence-based and collaborative inquiry to great success. James enjoys many hobbies, including writing and crocheting, and spending time with his wife and two small children when he is not working.

Matt Baker

Director of Business-to-Business Sales
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

LinkedIn | Instagram

As the middle child of Rick and Diane Baker, Matt benefits from the experience of both his father and grandmother before him working in the world of custom window coverings. Much like Rick, Matt spent time picking up pins from the workroom, but it wasn’t until he was seventeen that he officially started work for Galaxy, initially as an installer. He has continued within the company, growing his product knowledge, customer relations, and experience to become an incredibly talented designer. Matt excels in working with our high-end clients, having built mutual relationships with many notable interior designers, builders, and realtors. He has worked on some stunning projects including the home of Netflix’s ‘Selling Sunset’ series star Jason Oppenheim, and the Orem House where his drapery design became a background for Tiffany’s global ad campaign featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Matt was also a recipient of Window Covering Vision Magazine’s “20 Under 40” award in 2021 for being a notable and upcoming industry leader. Matt is an avid baseball fan in his free time, attending many games locally and playing recreationally, and spending time with his wife.


Jenna Cato

Production Manager
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

While her last name no longer reflects it, Jenna is the youngest of Rick and Diane’s children, and the latest to join Galaxy. Like David, Jenna also left Galaxy and California to pursue higher education and experiences, acquiring her bachelor’s degree in art and science with a focus on psychology. Jenna was attracted to the world of marketing and direct sales independently, working as a marketing director, and sales manager at various companies spanning Colorado, Utah, and Texas. In 2018, Jenna returned to California and Galaxy Draperies, where she initially assumed the marketing role. Since then, she’s taken on multiple roles within the company where needed to restructure and organize departments. She has recently been promoted to our Production Manager role, overseeing multiple departments’ day-to-day functions. In her free time, Jenna enjoys spending time with her husband, two small boys, and her dogs in their home or on local adventures as a family.

Mel Gott

Sales Pipeline Manager
GREATER CLEVELAND AREA

LinkedIn

Mel has been a results-driven management professional for over 16 years, with experience in business analysis, process improvement, accounts receivable, hiring, payroll, and more. She has a passion for helping others and creating positive environments that foster positive change. Mel’s knowledge of collaborative, positive team building combined with a focus on prioritizing and aligning tasks to support company goals and operations makes her an excellent addition to Galaxy. Her oversight of our Scheduling and Events teams ensures positive customer service relations with every client we work with, combined with confidence in the expeditious and accurate scheduling of our complex group of Design Consultants across the Greater Los Angeles area. When not at work, Mel enjoys yoga, animals, considers herself a “foodie”. She is actively involved in her community, helping organize and host fundraisers for local animal shelters and holiday events.


Christine Haskell

Marketing Manager
NORTHERN COLORADO

LinkedIn

Christine’s extensive career in digital marketing started with many successful articles on a global parenting website that introduced her to SEO and social media marketing. Her writings were quoted and featured in various online publications including The New York Times’ Motherlode, Huffington Post, msnbc’s TODAYMoms, Google News, and more. She was also invited as a guest speaker on Good Morning America, Huffington Post Live, press conferences with her local Department of Transportation, and interviewed for Kiwi Magazine. She executed social media marketing for multiple businesses, added new knowledge in web design, and was a part of developing and implementing a successful nationwide campaign for a non-profit. Adding in multiple years’ experience developing email marketing campaigns for a wide variety of businesses, from independent authors to internationally-known spirits brands, Christine’s vast digital marketing and content knowledge and experience aids Galaxy Draperies in essentially all online content to this day. In her free time, Christine spends time with her fiancé and two children, creates digital art for friends and family, and is also a Unity level designer for an indie game development company.

Roxanarlene Solis

Customer Service Manager
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Roxanarlene worked in textile retail during her teens and came to Galaxy Draperies originally as a receptionist. Her customer relationship skills combined with attention to detail quickly moved her to our Project Assistant team. Her husband jokes about her desire for control in her home life that is highlighted by her love of cleaning and organization, but that process-focused mindset has led to a career at Galaxy that has spanned many positions, from Office Manager, Customer Service Manager, and Finance Manager. Her flexibility and willingness to aid the company in whatever area business needs dictate has allowed her unique insight into the operations of the company. When she is not working, Roxanarlene loves Christmas, the movie Titanic, and spending time with her pug Grinch, her daughter, and her husband.


Bernadette Barreras

Assistant Sales Manager
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Bernadette comes to Galaxy with extensive experience in business and design. Her passion extends back to college, where she excelled in an optional program for interior design. Throughout her career, she has assisted homeowners in redesigning many elements of their homes, from flooring to countertops, windows, and more. She also worked alongside our General Manager as a designer of custom shutters, poising her perfectly to enter Galaxy initially as a design consultant. Alongside Bernadette’s design experience, she led multiple teams for over 16 years, managing accounts, ordering, sales, inventory and much more, making her skillset well-rounded. Her elevation to Assistant Sales Manager has given her the opportunity to blend her various skills. She excels supporting the Sales team and other staff at Galaxy in creating beautiful, functional designs for our clients and ensuring accuracy in every detail. In her free time, she spends time with her three dogs and husband, and enjoys camping.

Rosalie Derk

Training & Development Specialist
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Rosalie spent multiple years working for a math education organization where she assessed students, created customized learning plans to fill their unique gaps, and then taught them with tailored methods to meet their needs and learning style. She also aided in inside sales helping their program reach more students in need, and in hiring and training of new coaches for the training center. While Rosalie joined Galaxy Draperies as a Scheduler, her education background and knack for guiding teammates made her the clear choice for our newly created Training & Development Specialist role. She excels at creating a safe learning environment where people feel safe speaking up, asking questions, and making mistakes. She knows that helping people understand the “why” and checking for their understanding is key to successful learning. She works closely with every department at Galaxy Draperies to not only train new hires but also to sharpen the skills and knowledge of existing staff. When not at work, you can often find her at Disneyland with her husband or sketching digital art on the couch.


 

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