23 Facts About Vicki Walker

Vicki Lynn Walker was born on May 29,1956 and is an American politician.

Vicki Walker served as the Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the US Department of Agriculture.

Vicki Walker is known as an advocate for utility customers and as an outspoken critic of influential former Governor Neil Goldschmidt.

Vicki Walker was born in Monroe, Washington, and graduated from Reedsport High School in Reedsport, Oregon, in 1974.

Vicki Walker attended the University of Oregon and graduated in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in political science.

From 1992 to 1994, Vicki Walker served as the chair of the Lane County Democratic Central Committee.

Vicki Walker has volunteered on campaigns and has helped to fundraise for non-profit organizations.

In November 1998, Vicki Walker was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives.

Vicki Walker proposed legislation making the prevention of youth suicide a state priority as well as a bill that provides consumers protection from predatory lending practices.

Vicki Walker was elected to the Oregon State Senate in November 2002 for the 7th District, covering Eugene, Junction City, and Harrisburg.

Vicki Walker served as vice-chair of the Business and Labor Committee as well as a member of the Judiciary, Health Policy and General Government Committees.

Vicki Walker was elected to her second Senate term in 2006, defeating former Eugene mayor Jim Torrey.

Vicki Walker was critical of Governor Ted Kulongoski, a fellow Democrat, on many issues and considered challenging his bid for re-election in 2006, but ultimately did not run.

Fellow Democrat Pete Sorenson, another Willamette Valley Democrat who did run for governor in 2006, predicted that Vicki Walker would have a hard time raising money for her campaign.

However, Vicki Walker announced on February 1,2006 that she would not seek the office, but would instead listen to voters in her State Senate District and run for re-election.

Vicki Walker received the information from Portland Tribune Columnist Phil Stanford about the scandal, though it reportedly was not enough proof to go public.

Vicki Walker was a longtime critic of Goldschmidt and tried unsuccessfully to prevent his appointment to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in January 2004.

Vicki Walker finished third in the Democratic primary to Kate Brown and Rick Metsger.

In 2009, Vicki Walker was nominated by Governor Ted Kulongoski to a four-year term as chair of Oregon's Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision.

Vicki Walker resigned from the Oregon State Senate on July 12,2009, to begin her new position.

Vicki Walker did this after state government revenue forecasts determined the state would take in less money than anticipated, and thus a fourth position on the board would not be created as Governor Kulongoski had expected.

Vicki Walker then took a temporary position with the parole board to last until the end of the year.

On October 30,2009, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that Vicki Walker had been appointed as Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the US Department of Agriculture.