Artist and housing policy advisor Debra Walker, who has created several popular covers for the San Francisco Bay Times over the years, was recently appointed by Mayor London Breed to serve on the San Francisco Arts Commission. Walker is a past president of both the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and the San Francisco Arts Democratic Club. She is a past board member of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research center, and chaired both the Live Work and Arts Task forces created by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Since 1981, Walker has lived and worked in one of San Francisco’s oldest artist cooperatives. As an artist, she has exhibited her work locally, nationally, and internationally.
As a tenant representative, she served on the city’s Building Inspection Commission from 1999–2019. There she worked to institutionalize the code enforcement outreach program in the housing division by convening tenant and landlord outreach organizations to support building owners in bringing their units up to code. She additionally served on the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety that resulted in an international model for resiliency.
Walker has organized for many political campaigns locally, as well as throughout California and around the country, to increase voter registration and to support candidates for office. She served as a caucus officer in the Women’s Caucus and the LGBT Caucus of the California Democratic Party.
Congratulations to Walker, who joins the following on the Arts Commission: Rebeka Krell (Acting Director of Cultural Affairs), Roberto Ordeñana (President), Kimberlee Stryker (Vice President), JD Beltran, Chuck Collins, Suzanne Ferras, Mary Jung, Dorka Keehn, Myrna Melgar, Nabiel Musleh, Linda Parker Pennington, Abby Sadin Schnair, Marcus Anthony Shelby, Janine Shiota, and Paul Woolford.
Published on March 12, 2020
Recent Comments