Walker worked at the
Detroit Public Library early in her career, and was director of personnel when she left in 1977. She was director of personnel at
Wayne County Community College from 1977 to 1980. In 1980, Walker became "the first woman and the first African-American to head a division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources", when she became head of personnel. In 1986, she became director of human resources for the city of
Grand Rapids, and later became Assistant City Manager. Walker was on the faculty of Grand Valley State University from 1993 until 2002, and was associate director of the university's Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership. She was honored by the Michigan Women's Foundation in 2001. In 2005, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. In 2006, she was elected president of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. She appeared in a documentary about local philanthropy,
The Gift of All: A Community of Givers (2008) by Daniel Garcia. Walker was president of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR), and received the professional organization's Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award in 1996, for her decades of service in the personnel field. She was named a "Pioneering Member" of the
Alpha Kappa Alpha black sorority. == Personal life ==