Thomas G. Walker Jr.

 

UM alumnus Thomas G. Walker Jr. of Montevallo founded The Citizenship Trust at The American Village in Montevallo in 1998 and has since acted as its executive director. He and The American Village recently received the Sons of the American Revolution Distinguished Patriotic Leadership Award for efforts to promote respect for patriotism, national symbols and the value of American citizenship.

He received his bachelor of arts degree with honors from the University of Montevallo in 1975, with a double major in political science and history. He earned his master of arts degree in political science from Mississippi State University in 1981.           

Walker was the special assistant to the president and legislative liaison at UM from 1989 to 1998 and also served as an adjunct faculty member, teaching state and local government.

He was the executive vice president and CEO of the Alabama Association of Realtors from 1984 to 1989. He was city manager and city clerk of Northport, Ala., from 1981 to 1984.

Walker served as a local government specialist for the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service at Mississippi State University in Starkville from 1980 to 1981. Prior to 1980, he was employed by the State of Alabama in the office of the late Congressman Walter Flowers.

Walker has an extensive public and professional service record. He was the secretary of the Joint Legislative Committee on the New National Veterans Cemetery in 2005 and was secretary of the Joint legislative Committee on Civic Education in 2000. He served as secretary and citizen representative on the Joint Legislative Committee on Southern Leadership Goals in 1994. Walker was a member of the Alabama Governor’s Commission on Education and Tax Reform from 1989 to 1990 and a member of the Alabama Governor’s Education Commission in 1991. He was a chair on the Second Century Commission at UM from 1995 to 1996 and president of the UM National Alumni Association from 1988 to 1990. Walker was secretary and director of the Governor’s Cornerstone of Liberty Commission from 2003 to 2005.

Walker was the founding chair of the Alabama Higher Education Partnership. He is a former chair of the Higher Education Governmental Affairs Council and former president of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs. He was the vice president of the 140,000-member Alabama Congress of PTAs from 1990 to 1992. He was chair of governmental affairs for the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce from 2003 to 2005 and is a co-founder of Leadership Shelby County. He was a four-term treasurer of that organization.

Walker is also a former treasurer and a vestry member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. He has received the UM Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Alabama Governor’s Tourism Award in 2000, was named the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce Civic Leader of the Year in 1999, the Leadership Shelby County Citizen of the Year in 2000 and the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year, also in 2000.

In 2006, Walker received the American Bar Association’s Isidore Starr Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in promoting excellence in K–12 law-related education.

He is married to UM alumna, Betty Driver Walker. They have three children, all of whom have earned degrees at the University of Montevallo.