The University of Winnipeg Alumni Association is proud to recognize Janet Walker as the recipient of its highest honour, the Distinguished Alumni Award. She will be honoured at the 2018 Spring Convocation ceremony to be held on the morning of Thursday, June 14 (9:30 am).
Janet Walker completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1978. True to her love for and commitment to The University of Winnipeg, she has maintained a close connection throughout her life to her alma mater.
Active in the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, Walker served as a student representative on UWinnipeg’s Board of Regents. After graduation, she held several positions at the University — in student recruitment and awards, public relations, communications, and fund development. She was elected as a support staff member of the Board and later as a community representative, appointed by the United Church. Her vision and strategic planning were instrumental in creating The University of Winnipeg Foundation: her work as UWinnipeg’s director of advancement — in collaboration with the University’s Chancellor, Board of Regents, and the Council on Post-Secondary Education — solidified the early years of the Foundation.
From 2003 to 2012, Walker served as executive consultant and acting campaign director to The University of Winnipeg Foundation, and played a key role in the successful “A World of Opportunity” capital campaign, which raised over $135 million for The University of Winnipeg.
“We are very pleased to honour Janet Walker for her leadership, service, and dedication to The University of Winnipeg and to celebrate her many accomplishments,” said Ruth Dickinson, President of the UWinnipeg Alumni Association. “She is an exceptional alumna whose passion and vision helped establish The University of Winnipeg Foundation and her important contributions to fundraising for the institution have benefitted the lives of so many students and future leaders.”
An experienced not-for-profit executive and fundraising professional, Walker has provided strategic planning, revenue development, group facilitation and communications support to clients in the arts, tourism, education, urban development, and health sectors through her former Winnipeg-based management consulting practice. She also served as executive director of the Health Sciences Foundation and of Tourism Winnipeg.
Walker’s experience with The University of Winnipeg’s Oral History Centre — working on life story interviews and studies in history and memory — led her to a new career. In 2014, she was appointed president and CEO of Canada’s National History Society, an organization that promotes the discovery and understanding of our nation’s history through its magazines (Canada’s History and Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for Kids) and website, as well as through the Governor General’s History Awards and student-based education initiatives.
Walker has found time to volunteer as a member of the board of directors of the Winnipeg International Writer’s Festival; as co-chair of the National Conference of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy; as council member for the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce; and for the Canadian Cancer Society, National Communications Strategy Committee.
