CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Delegate Danielle Walker is the new executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia.
Walker, D-Monongalia, was introduced at the organization’s annual Bills of Rights Dinner in Charleston Saturday night. The organization says she’ll resign her legislative seat and her position as vice-chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party before she begins her new job on April 17.
Walker, the only black woman in the legislature, and the first black woman to lead the ACLU-WV, called her selection a “humbling honor.”
“ACLU-WV is a force of representation for us all, from the mountains to the hollers of West Virginia,” Walker said in a Saturday night news release. “I am looking forward to working with the board, staff, volunteers and other supporters for a fairer, more just future for our state.”
Walker is known as one of the most outspoken members of the House of Delegates. The ACLU-WV called her a “steadfast and fierce advocate.”
Former ACLU-WV Executive Director Joseph Cohen called Walker a visionary leader.
“She is committed to the ACLU’s principles, and she will inspire the next generation of leaders in West Virginia. I could not imagine a more perfect person to take over the organization that I love so much,” Cohen said.
Walker replaces interim executive director Eli Baumwell who chose not to seek the position on a permanent basis.