May 7, 2013
Toni Walker - 93rd Assembly District
I respect and admire Toni Walker on so many levels, both personally and professionally. I first met Toni through her father, “Dr. Ed,” the late Rev. Dr. Edwin R. Edmonds, a New Haven clergyman, civil rights activist and advocate for the poor who, along with her late mother Maye, laid the foundation for the remarkable woman Toni has become. The lessons her parents taught her have resulted in a lifetime of service and advocacy on behalf of others, particularly young people and the systems entrusted with their education. Toni models her parents’ legacy in the caring way she carries out her personal roles as wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother and good friend.
Toni has other important roles, as well. Because she serves as vice principal and coordinator of special services and grants at New Haven Adult Education, Toni has been instrumental in helping adult learners transition to Gateway Community College while forging community partnerships that help ensure the success of graduates from the Adult Ed program. Her hands-on, grassroots, “get-it-done” attitude as a Connecticut State representative played a key part in helping Gateway’s new downtown campus become a reality, as she championed our cause both within the City of New Haven and as co-chair of the Appropriations Committee.
In Toni, I have been blessed to find a kindred spirit with whom I share common bonds, particularly in our experiences as African-American female leaders within the Greater New Haven community.