Dr. Nancy J. Walker
Nancy Walker is President of AfricaNet, a new, independent, international institute focusing on human security and security sector governance in Africa, and serving as a professional development resource to civilian, military, and civil society leaders throughout the continent. At the request of African institutions and officials, AfricaNet programs emphasize long term professional relationships to further security cooperation and deepen understanding of modern security challenges. In early 2004, Dr. Walker resigned from United States government service after 15 years to pursue her professional passion for Africa. Dr. Walker is internationally recognized for her expertise in African affairs and security policy, creative and strategic thinking, public speaking, and personal commitment to strong U.S.-Africa relations.
Dr. Walker spent ten years in leadership positions within the Department of Defense on U.S.-Africa relations, peacekeeping policy, and security policy. From 1999 through August 2003, Dr. Walker served as the founding Director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Under her leadership, the Africa Center became highly respected for its quality programs for senior civilian, military, and civil society officials from Africa, Europe, and the United States, on subjects including civil-military relations, security strategy, health and security, disaster management, conflict prevention, leadership development, and networking.
Previous assignments include Director of the Office of African Affairs within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where Dr. Walker designed and managed defense policy and programs in sub-Saharan Africa. She also served as the United Nations Branch Chief in the Office of Peacekeeping in the Pentagon and as the German and NATO Analyst at the U.S. Information AgencyÕs Office of Research. Prior to government service, Dr. Walker had a diverse career as a political producer for German television, policy consultant to the International Institute for WomenÕs Political Leadership, editor, public opinion survey researcher, and defense analyst for an investment bank.
Dr. Walker holds a bachelors degree from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and doctorate in politics at Oxford University (Nuffield College), where she was a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellow. She worked in Germany as a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow for American Leadership. Dr. Walker completed the MIT Seminar XXI in national security policy. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the WomenÕs Foreign Policy Group, Women in International Security, the American Council on Germany, the American Political Science Association, and the World Affairs Council. Dr. Walker is a sought after lecturer and public speaker. Dr. Walker speaks fluent French and German and conversational Spanish.
Nancy Walker serves on the International Advisory Board of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (Geneva, Switzerland) and on Board of Directors of the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Development Program (Washington, DC). She received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Commander of the Order of the Lion from the Republic of Senegal. Nancy Walker and her husband, an international economist, have a daughter (13) and a son (12).
