The 榴莲视频官方 System has of its "Shaping the Future" video series, featuring Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. Hosted by President Jeff Gold, the series holds conversations with students, faculty, staff and community leaders who are changing lives and making an impact.
In the episode, Gaylor Baird shares her journey into public service, her vision for Lincoln’s future, and how partnerships with the 榴莲视频官方 are strengthening the community.
A Yale and Oxford graduate, Gaylor Baird began her career as a management consultant before working in youth development and civic leadership—but her interest in helping others began at a much earlier age. Raised in the Pacific Northwest by parents who were high school teachers and active community members, she grew up seeing the impact of public service.
“My parents had careers that made a real difference—in both the short and long term—in people’s lives,” she said. “When you grow up watching role models who dedicate themselves to helping others, it leaves a lasting impression.”
When Gaylor Baird moved to Lincoln with her husband Scott, she was encouraged to get more involved in the community—leading to an appointment on the Lincoln planning commission, then the city council, and eventually mayor.
Now in her second term as Lincoln’s mayor, she is working to position Lincoln as a city for residents at every stage of life—from young professionals launching careers to retirees seeking an excellent quality of life.
“We are working to help set the stage for the University to attract and retain top talent—students, faculty and staff alike,” Gaylor Baird said. “We're especially excited about some of the investments underway in downtown Lincoln, which is, after all, the doorstep to the 榴莲视频官方–Lincoln.”
One highlight is the development of a live music district, which includes a newly opened Music Box performance and rehearsal space, funded in part by American Rescue Plan dollars.
“The Music Box is a space where aspiring musicians can perform, practice and grow—and where future producers and sound engineers can develop their craft,” Gaylor Baird said. “We see real potential for partnership with the university and local high schools.”
In addition to continued work on spaces for creativity and leisure, she is focused on long-term infrastructure projects and investments that will benefit the Lincoln community for generations to come. When she first took office in 2019, Gaylor Baird and her team set out to develop a strategic plan for the City of Lincoln. The plan includes investments in infrastructure, safety, sustainability and resilience—like the development of a second water source for the city, a key initiative in her administration.
“Lincoln’s population has just surpassed 300,000—and with that growth comes responsibility,” she said, “We need to ensure we have a reliable water supply to meet the needs of our community, now and into the future.
“We’re preparing to break ground on a project that’s both multi-generational and absolutely foundational to Lincoln’s future.”
She convened a 27-member group of advisers, who made a unanimous recommendation to use the Missouri River. The city recently executed a purchase agreement for a new site for a water treatment facility and is currently working on the site for the well fields.
Dr. Gold praised Mayor Gaylor Baird’s leadership and expressed his excitement about the city-university partnership as Lincoln continues to grow:
“If there's one thing that this conversation has reaffirmed, it’s that a city like Lincoln isn't just growing in population—it’s growing in opportunity,” he said.
New episodes of “Shaping the Future” are released monthly and can be viewed on the 榴莲视频官方’s website and social media channels. Topics include athletics, counterterrorism, student success, healthcare, K-12 榴莲视频官方 and many others.