Lo Walker
Encyclopedia
Lorenz James Walker, also known as Lo Walker (born ca. 1933), is the Republican
mayor
of Bossier City
in northwestern Louisiana
.
At seventy-five, the self-described "workaholic" Walker, ran unopposed for a second four-year term in the April 4, 2009, municipal elections in Bossier City, the largest city in Bossier Parish
, located east of the Red River
from Shreveport
. "Of course, I'm pleased. To me, it's an indication that the majority of the population is happy" with the mayor and city council, Walker told Shreveport Times on learning that he had procured no opposition for reelection.
Walker outlined his goals as follows:
Walker noted that Bossier City was ranked by Business Week magazine
in 2008 as "one of the best places in America to raise a child."
Walker was born in Shreveport, where he graduated in 1951 from Fair Park High School
. In 1952, he enrolled at Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
, from which he graduated in 1956 as the "Outstanding Business School Graduate". Through Reserve Officer Training Corps at Louisiana Tech, Walker was commissioned an officer in the United States Air Force
. He served for thirty years in the military, including two tours of duty during the Vietnam War
at Bien Hoa
and Nha Trang
air bases. Walker retired in 1986 with the rank of colonel
. Walker first considered himself a Bossier City resident as early as 1968, and after mandatory military moves, including a stint in California
, he returned to Bossier City permanently in 1980. While in the military, he received a Master of Business Administration
degree in 1970 from Auburn University
in Auburn
, Alabama
.
Walker is a retired United States Air Force
officer, having been previously stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base
in Bossier City. In his military career, he earned two Distinguished Flying Cross
es, thirteen Air Medals, a Bronze Star
, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He left the military in 1986 to become Bossier City’s chief administrative officer. Walker told The Times that he approaches his job "as I’ve worked all my life. I learned at an early age to hold a certain work ethic
and accountability and I'm very fortunate in that regard to be able to look forward to each and every day."
Walker was first elected mayor on April 2, 2005, by a huge margin over the Democrat
Anita A. Steadman. He polled 3,793 votes (91.5 percent) in a low-turnout election to her 353 ballots (8.5 percent). Walker succeeded long-time Democratic Mayor George Dement, who in 2001 had polled 5,501 votes (57.2 percent) to 2,158 (22.4) percent for the Independent Billy Ross Robinson and 1,962 votes (20.4) percent for Republican Jerry C. Harris (born 1950). In 1989, Walker, then a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully against Dement, who won the first of his four terms that year.
In 1991, Walker made an unsuccessful race as a Democrat in the primary for the District 12 seat on the Bossier Parish Police Jury. The winner in a general election runoff was the late Eddy Shell
, a Republican educator at Bossier Parish Community College
.
On March 18, 2011, Walker's 39-year-old son, William Lance Walker, was found dead at his residence on Delhi Street in Bossier City.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Bossier City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
in northwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
At seventy-five, the self-described "workaholic" Walker, ran unopposed for a second four-year term in the April 4, 2009, municipal elections in Bossier City, the largest city in Bossier Parish
Bossier Parish, Louisiana
Bossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
, located east of the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
from Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. "Of course, I'm pleased. To me, it's an indication that the majority of the population is happy" with the mayor and city council, Walker told Shreveport Times on learning that he had procured no opposition for reelection.
Walker outlined his goals as follows:
- Maintaining public safety, which the hiring of six new police dispatchers
- Completing the Cyber Innovation Center, the $100 million hi-tech park under construction near Bossier Parish Community CollegeBossier Parish Community CollegeBossier Parish Community College is a two-year institution of higher education established in 1967 by the Louisiana State Legislature, initially as a pilot program to test the feasibility of commuter two-year colleges...
- Expansion of the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway along the Red River.
Walker noted that Bossier City was ranked by Business Week magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
in 2008 as "one of the best places in America to raise a child."
Walker was born in Shreveport, where he graduated in 1951 from Fair Park High School
Fair Park High School
Fair Park Medical Careers Magnet High School is a high school located at 3222 Greenwood Road in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.A. When it opened as Fair Park High School in 1928, it was the second high school in the city. C.E...
. In 1952, he enrolled at Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, from which he graduated in 1956 as the "Outstanding Business School Graduate". Through Reserve Officer Training Corps at Louisiana Tech, Walker was commissioned an officer in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. He served for thirty years in the military, including two tours of duty during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
at Bien Hoa
Bien Hoa
Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
and Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district...
air bases. Walker retired in 1986 with the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. Walker first considered himself a Bossier City resident as early as 1968, and after mandatory military moves, including a stint in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, he returned to Bossier City permanently in 1980. While in the military, he received a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree in 1970 from Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
in Auburn
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Walker is a retired United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
officer, having been previously stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
in Bossier City. In his military career, he earned two Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
es, thirteen Air Medals, a Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He left the military in 1986 to become Bossier City’s chief administrative officer. Walker told The Times that he approaches his job "as I’ve worked all my life. I learned at an early age to hold a certain work ethic
Work ethic
Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. An example would be the Protestant work ethic...
and accountability and I'm very fortunate in that regard to be able to look forward to each and every day."
Walker was first elected mayor on April 2, 2005, by a huge margin over the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Anita A. Steadman. He polled 3,793 votes (91.5 percent) in a low-turnout election to her 353 ballots (8.5 percent). Walker succeeded long-time Democratic Mayor George Dement, who in 2001 had polled 5,501 votes (57.2 percent) to 2,158 (22.4) percent for the Independent Billy Ross Robinson and 1,962 votes (20.4) percent for Republican Jerry C. Harris (born 1950). In 1989, Walker, then a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully against Dement, who won the first of his four terms that year.
In 1991, Walker made an unsuccessful race as a Democrat in the primary for the District 12 seat on the Bossier Parish Police Jury. The winner in a general election runoff was the late Eddy Shell
Eddy Shell
Edwin Taylor "Eddy" Shell was a prominent educator and politician in Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana. In 1967, he was among the original five full-time faculty members to launch Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City. The institution was then known as Airline Junior College....
, a Republican educator at Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College is a two-year institution of higher education established in 1967 by the Louisiana State Legislature, initially as a pilot program to test the feasibility of commuter two-year colleges...
.
On March 18, 2011, Walker's 39-year-old son, William Lance Walker, was found dead at his residence on Delhi Street in Bossier City.