Sisterhood Spotlight

You’ve been an employee of the Commonwealth of Virginia for 21 years. What was your first role serving the Commonwealth?

My first role was a P-14 (wage) Education Specialist with the State Approving Agency (SAA) for Veterans Education and Training (GI Bill). At that time, the SAA was under the Virginia Department of Education. The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) was created in 2003, the SAA moved to VDVS in 2004.

Can you tell us about your current role? What are the most rewarding and most challenging aspects?

I currently serve as one of two Deputy Commissioners with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. We provide general guidance and counsel to the Commissioner on agency strategy and administration. I am also responsible for the strategic management and oversight of the Benefits, Virginia Veterans and Family Support (VVFS), and the Veterans Education, Transition & Employment (VETE) Directorates. The VETE directorate includes the State Approving Agency for Veterans Education and Training (GI Bill), the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP), the Virginia Values Veterans Employment (V3) Program, the V3 Transition Program, the Military Medics and Corpsmen (MMAC) Program, the Virginia Women Veterans Program (VWVP), and the Virginia Military Spouse Liaison.

What are some of the ways your department is helping veterans that you'd like Virginians to know about?

We connect veterans and their families to federal and states benefits, support, quality care, and recognition they have earned through their service and sacrifice.  Transition doesn’t end when a veteran walks out of the gate with their DD214. We assist veterans and their families through the life cycle of their transition to ensure they stay, work, and thrive in Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) is organized into seven service delivery sections: benefits; veteran and family support; veterans education; transition & employment; care centers; veterans cemeteries; and the Virginia War Memorial. The Board of Veterans Services, the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Services Organizations, and the Veterans Services Foundation work closely with VDVS to support the effective delivery of services to Virginia’s veterans and their families. 

What are one or two of the greatest lessons you learned during your time serving in the U.S. Army?

I learned not to be overwhelmed by a situation that seems insurmountable. I developed an emotional intelligence that helps me stay calm under pressure. That attribute served me well when I was the Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge of the “box” for the launching of the Pershing II missile. In the “box”, the Officer in Charge and I had to receive the coded message, break the code, use the code to open the safe that contained the coordinates of the strike, enter the coordinates, and launch within a defined timeframe.

What's a piece of advice you'd give to younger women who have a desire to serve their country?

Be daring enough to stand up and stand out. Do not set limitations on yourself and do not succumb to self-imposed or manufactured pressures and fears.

On the eve of July 4th, what would you like to say to all Virginians?

Despite all of our challenges, the United States of America is the greatest country in the world. President Lincoln stated in his second inaugural address, “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds.” President Lincoln’s words are timely and should be use as a call to action as we continue to work towards a more perfect union. One that will ensure that every Virginian have the opportunity to thrive and realize those unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

If you would like to learn more about the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, please visit their website.  

About Deputy Commissioner Annie Walker

Mrs. Walker provides strategic management and oversight of the Benefits, Virginia Veterans and Family Support (VVFS), and the Veterans Education, Transition & Employment (VETE) Directorates. She is also responsible for general guidance and counsel to the Commissioner on agency strategy and administration.

Mrs. Walker is retired from the United States Army. She is a graduate of the Army National Guard Officer Candidate School, Camp Murray, WA but decided to continue her career as an enlisted soldier. Her military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Good Conduct Award, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Distinguished Instructor Award. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Education and Masters in Business Administration.

During her military career, Mrs. Walker was a 41C-Fire Control Instrument Repairer, 21G-Pershing Missile Electronics Material Specialist, 27M-Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Repairer, and a 92Y-Unit Supply Specialist. Her last duty assignment was at Fort Lee, Virginia, where she was a Drill Sergeant. Mrs. Walker ended her military career in 1997 as the Director for the Instructor Development Course at the United States Army Quartermaster Center and School.

Mrs. Walker has presented at several professional and community events including the Governor’s Conference on Housing titled, “Veterans and Their Communities: Strategies for Transition, Jobs, and Thriving Lives: The GI Bill-A Partner in Addressing Homeless Veterans.”  And “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) as a Viable Career Choice.”  She also co-authored an article published in The Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, “Perceptions of GI Bill Recipients with Disabilities.”

Prior to her current position, Mrs. Walker worked as a Truancy/Dropout Prevention Case Manager, Petersburg Public Schools; a Prevention/Community Specialist, Petersburg District 19 Community Service Board; and as a Foster Care/Adoption Social Worker, Petersburg Department of Social Services. During this time, she presented at many venues to include the Title I Regional Parent Involvement Conference on “Working with Children from Environmentally Challenged Communities.”

Mrs. Walker is also active on the national level. She is Past President of the National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA).  Former Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Secretary Robert McDonald appointed Mrs. Walker to the DVA Veterans Advisory Council on Education and she is a past member of the DVA/NASAA Joint Advisory Council.