DHR Commissioner B. J. Walker

B. J. Walker was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) on May 17, 2004. As commissioner, Walker is responsible for health and human services provided throughout Georgia. She is responsible for services to people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and addictive diseases. She is also responsible for services to older Georgians, for child welfare services and for public health activities. Walker oversees public assistance programs including the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, the Food Stamp program and Medicaid. She manages 19,000 staff and an annual budget of $2.4 billion.

Prior to her current responsibilities, Walker served as Chief of Human Infrastructure in the administration of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. In this capacity, she was the city’s chief mayoral aide for city agencies and departments that serve the human service needs of Chicago’s residents. Walker was responsible for coordinating the efforts of agencies and departments to better serve the city’s children and families.

Walker also served as Director of Community Operations for the Illinois Department of Human Resources where she was responsible for management of the state’s welfare reform effort and for oversight of 135 local and regional public aid offices and 5400 administrative and casework staff. She was responsible for the delivery of TANF, Food Stamps and Medicaid to over three million clients. Under Walker’s leadership in welfare reform, Illinois earned $38 million in high performance bonuses from the federal government.

Walker served as Assistant to the Governor for Human Services Reform under Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. She managed a statewide human services reform effort which led to reorganization of the state’s human services agencies and to establishment of a new Illinois Department of Human Services. Walker managed a $3 million grant from the Annie E. Casey foundation and coordinated the involvement of local communities in the Governor’s human services reform efforts.

Walker served as Director for Urban Education and later as Deputy Director of the North Central Regional Education Laboratory where she coordinated the delivery of educational programs and services to a seven-state region. Walker also served as curriculum developer, editor and consultant for a number of agencies, including the Chicago Public Schools. She held adjunct professor positions at Loyola University and Northwestern University.