Hat’s Off to Olene Walker
Our hat is off to Olene Walker for being one of Utah’s greatest Stateswomen. The timing of this Hat’s Off was brought on by her op-ed piece in the Salt Lake Tribune (Sunday, March 7th and is re-printed on this blog elsewhere) in which she endorsed the Fair Boundaries Initiative that would bring to an end the very visible results of the blatant gerrymandering partisanship of the Utah Republican Party.
Her opinion piece is another in a long list of courageous stands this great woman has taken in opposition to her beloved Republican Party. It is a must read. Aghast, she also has endorsed the Ethics Reform Initiative that will result in greater dignity and respect for her former legislator friends, dignity and respect that they are fighting against tooth and nail. (Her statement on the Ethics Reform is also found elsewhere on this blog.)
To second this Hat’s Off find a copy of the two Initiative Petitions and sign your name. You will be doing your state and the political climate a great service. Out of respect for her you could also sign online, although the current Lt. Governor has ruled online signatures unacceptable, a position that in all likelihood Olene would not have taken.
Fairness and civility are two of her greatest trademarks, the two least visible traits in today’s Republican Party.
Watts Cookin’ has known and admired Olene and her husband Myron Walker for many years. They are kind, thoughtful, soft spoken, industrious and generous. Their donation through their Country Crisp potato chip company was the boost that was needed to initiate the Utah-Arizona Shootout, an inter-state golf tournament that has become one of Utah’s premier golfing events and is now nearing its 20th competition.
Olene Walker, at 72, is the oldest person to ever become governor. She is also the only woman to be governor, and also had the shortest term of office, 17 months. In 2003, when Governor Mike Leavitt was invited to head up the Environmental Protection Agency in the Bush Administration it, aghast, elevated a woman to be Utah’s Governor.
She performed wonderfully and gained high approval ratings state wide, but she didn’t have the gender and the required right wing lingo to be deemed worthy for re-election by her Republican Party and she was forced aside ‘to let a man do a man’s job.’
She wouldn’t approve of Watts Cookin’ taking these ‘pot shots’ at her beloved Republican Party, and she would probably call them ‘unfair’ and if she says so then we will concede that fact and still tip our hat to her for her marvelous example to all of us and for generations to come.
She is suffering from an incurable disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and is advocating for greater research in finding a cure for it. It is a disease that seems to be escalating rather rapidly throughout the nation, and we extend our best wishes to her and Myron and their family in her challenge to conquer it.
A brief sketch of her achievements is listed below.
She also served in the Utah State Legislature from 1980-1989 and was Appropriations Committee chairperson during her second term in the Utah House of Representatives. She was the Assistant Majority Whip from 1985-1987 and Majority Whip from 1987-1989. Prior to her positions in Utah State government, Gov. Walker worked with Worldwide Education and evaluated the U.S. Department of Education Title 111 projects throughout the country. She was the Director of ESAA Programs in the Salt Lake City School District and was the Director of the Salt Lake School Foundation. She was the Director of Community Development for the state of Utah and previously served as Vice President of Country Crisp Foods. She graduated with honors with her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Brigham Young University where she served as student body vice-president, a position that may have been the earliest look at her strong leadership skills. She was also captain of the debate team. The Governor received her master’s degree from Stanford and her Ph.D. from the University of Utah.
Gov. Walker and her husband, Myron, served as Public Affairs Missionaries for the LDS Church in New York City from June 2005 through December 2006. Their assignment was to make friends and build bridges with the United Nations Ambassadors and government officials in the Northeast. Gov. Walker was born in Ogden Utah. She is the daughter of T.O. and Nina Smith. She lived in Wilson Lane, which is now West Haven. She and Myron have seven children, twenty-five grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren and now live in St. George.
Gov. Walker has received many prestigious awards including:
- 2005 Utah’s Person of the Year
- Brigham Young University Outstanding Graduate Award
- Business Woman of the Year
- University of Utah Hinckley Institute Hall of Fame
- Legislature of the Year
- Child Care Lifetime Service Award
- Child Advocate Award
- Romney Institute Manager of the Year Award
- Graduate School of Education Outstanding Service Award,
- Woman of Achievement Award.
- Salt Lake Chamber Athena Award for outstanding public service.
- Utah Business Women’s Outstanding Achievement Award.
She is also the recipient of a National Honor: Points of Light National Service Award
Highlights of Tenure as Governor State of Utah 2003 –2005
Initiatives included:
- Connecting interoperability of technology of the state law enforcement and health services to all areas of the state.
- Reading initiative focusing on primary grades and encouraging parents to read with their children for Twenty minutes a day; included $30 million for Utah schools to make certain every child could read by the end of 3rd grade; included a public awareness portion that used the theme, “The most important twenty minutes of your day, reading with a child” Raised over $5 million more to support the importance of reading
- Watershed environmental enhancement in a large portion of the state
- Tax reform
- Resolution of public land issues
- 211 line for human services throughout the state
- Establishment of a community forest conservation policy
- Created a international trade policy
- Formulated a university and colleges economic development enhancement program
- Developed an education and scholarship program for foster children
- Developed a preventive health program for all state employees.
National leadership positions:
- President of National Secretary of States Organization,
- Chairperson National Lt. Governor’s Organization,
- Chairperson International Relations Committee National Council of State Governments
- Chair: Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice
- Chairperson: Quality Childcare in Utah
- Committee on Community Development
- Health Policy Commission
- Welfare Reform Task Force
- Higher Education Task Force
- Community Services Committee
Boards and Commissions:
Boards of Directors:
- Marriott School of Management Advisory Board
- Weber State College Advisory Board
- Romney Institute of Public Administration Advisory Board
- Utah Valley University Advisory Board
- Utah Constitutional Revision Task Force
- Coalition for Utah’s Future
- Ballet West
- Utah Symphony and Opera Committee
- United Way
- Red Cross
- Road Home Committee (Utah Homeless Committee)
- YWCA Board
- Salt Lake Convention and Visitor Bureau Executive Committee
- Envision Utah
- Home Nursing Advisory Committee,
- University of Utah Hospital Board
- Heart and Lung Research Advisory Committee
National Boards:
- National Park Conservation Advisory Board
- National Public University and Colleges Foundation Board
- Director Sallie Mae Industrial Bank
- Park City Public Policy Center
Honorary Degrees:
- Weber State University
- Utah Valley University
- Southern Utah University
- Westminster University
- Salt Lake Community College
