Walker receives Stratton Award

Bill Walker

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) executive director Bill Walker has received the Julius A. Stratton Award for leadership in coastal management. The national award was presented by NOAA at the Coastal Zone Conference to acknowledge great leadership in the spirit of Dr. Stratton, the first leader of the U.S. Ocean Commission.

Walker has distinguished himself as a leader in addressing the many issues facing coastal and marine resources. He has served as DMR executive director since 2002 where he is responsible for the management of the state’s marine resources, including fishing, boating, coastal management and the Coastal Impact Assistance Program. He represents Mississippi interests on the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program Management Committee.

Walker, along with Trudy Fisher, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, also represents Gov. Haley Barbour in the Gulf of Mexico Governors’ Alliance.