Gerri H. Walker, is an experienced healthcare executive, businesswoman, educator, communications and management consultant. She has taught at the pre-school, professional and graduate levels. In 1988, she was appointed by Mayor W. Wilson Good as the first African American City Representative and subsequently appointed as the first African American and first woman with the dual title of City Representative and Commerce Director. In this role she was the chef marketing and business development executive overseeing a budget of $108mm and 700 employees. She has a Masters in Education from Temple University, a B.A. in French and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh and over 30 years in management. She also has experience in domestic and international business; conference and retreat management. Her extensive background in human resources includes organizational analysis, management and teacher training; individual and organizational communication.
Walker has been President and CEO of her own company since 1992, serving domestic and foreign national chef executive officers in business development, management, communications and community engagement. She has been listed in the Who’s Who publications of International Entrepreneurs, Business Leaders Worldwide and American Business Leaders. She has also taught leadership and communication at several leading universities, traveled throughout West Africa, lived in Accra, Ghana and won Power Talk International’s worldwide speech competition on the stage of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.
Walker co-founded The Forerunners International Institute, Inc and “Journey to Freedom”, its 9-month personal development program designed for 13–19-year-old students, which included a 3-week comprehensive educational, travel, theatre arts and homestay component in West Africa and Europe.
From 2000-2016, she was CEO, in partnership with her daughter, of Diamond Cutter, LLC, a holistic wellness company dedicated to enhancing lives; mind, body and spirit.
Walker is currently President and CEO, The Behavioral Wellness Center at Girard, comprised of a private psychiatric hospital and substance use disorder facility, which she bought out of bankruptcy to being named one of America’s best addictions centers. She is Chairman of the Board of Directors
of Simpson-Fletcher Conestoga Corporation, a housing complex for the elderly and disabled. She is a member of the board of Inspire Children Foundation; former chairman of the Board of The Center of Peace, a spiritual community; the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation, a public financing agency and the North Philadelphia Business Chamber of Commerce. She has been a board member of a number of cultural and business boards throughout her career.
Over thirty-five years ago, Gerri began designing personal development programs and her exploration of complementary health care and spirituality. She has a spiritual living coaching practice as a licensed practitioner with Centers for Spiritual Living. Gerri has been a Practitioner for 16 years. She has been a member of The Center of Peace since 2002. Her lifelong goal is to support others in expanding their consciousness in order to live lives of possibility: mind, body and spirit. She is married to Reginald Walker and the mother of daughter, Rana and son, Tschaka (Chaka).