Olene S. Walker, Utah's 15th governor, was sworn into office November 5, 2003. Walker was born in Ogden, Utah. She received her Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees from Brigham Young University, Stanford University and the University of Utah. She is married to Myron Walker and is the mother of seven children and 25 grandchildren.
Walker's distinguished political background includes eight years in the state legislature including a term as Majority Whip. She founded and served as director of the Salt Lake Education Foundation. She also served as director of the Utah Division of Community Development. She has chaired the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, the Utah State Housing Coordinating Committee, and the Governor's Commission on Child Care.
She assumed the office of Governor of the State of Utah after former governor Mike Leavitt resigned his office to serve as Administrator of the EPA. Ms. Walker is Utah's first woman governor, and is one of seven current woman governors in the country. She is a past Chair of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors.
