Maggie Walker

Maggie Walker was born and raised in Summit, New Jersey. She attended Oak Knoll School until 1968 when she moved to Greenville, South Carolina where she met Doug Walker. Both attended Vanderbilt University, then married and moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington where Maggie earned degrees in History and Journalism while Doug did graduate work in Mathematics.

For fifteen years Maggie worked in the commercial furnishings and design industry in the Northwest while Doug founded a software firm, WRQ. Following the birth of their only child, Maggie became very active in the non-profit community.

In 2022, Maggie retired as Chair of the Board of the National Audubon Society.  She is the founding and current board chair of Friends of Waterfront Seattle and represents the College of the Environment on the UW Foundation board.

Over the last 25 years, Maggie has led the boards of many organizations: Henry Art Gallery at UW; the Woodland Park Zoo; MOHAI; Global Partnerships; Seattle Foundation; Seattle Art Museum; Bullitt Foundation; Washington Women’s Foundation; ARCS Foundation; and the UW College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.

Doug and Maggie were founders of Social Venture Partners. She and Doug led the campaign to create Lake Union Park. Maggie received the James Ellis Regional leadership Award in 2013 and she and Doug received the Gates Volunteer Award in 2016 from UW. In 2017 she was named a Woman of Courage by Senator Maria Cantwell.

Doug passed away in 2015 in a climbing accident. Maggie continues her philanthropic work as President of the Walker Family Foundation.

• Appointed by Governor Jay Inslee from June 26, 2023 to September 30, 2024
• Awaiting Senate confirmation