UM-Rolla graduate Walker takes place on board

Cheryl D.S. Walker

In a sense, it was a high school aptitude test that brought Cheryl D.S. Walker to the University of Missouri. The test revealed that Walker should be an engineer, and while her first response was admittedly negative, a McDonnell Douglas program helped change her perception of engineers. It was then that she stared looking at schools, and chose the University of Missouri-Rolla for the strong reputation of its engineering school.

Walker, of St. Louis, was appointed to the UM Board of Curators by Gov. Bob Holden earlier this year. While the appointment came as a surprise to Walker, her relationship with the University goes back to her undergraduate days.

"I was a recipient of the minority engineering program scholarship when I first started at UM-Rolla," Walker said. "I have continued my relationship with the school primarily through that program and its director, Floyd Harris, over the years. As a result, I've had the opportunity to come to campus to speak with students in a formal or informal setting. I attended a similar session as a student, and found it valuable career-wise, so hopefully it's adding value to students today."

While an undergraduate at UM-Rolla, Walker enjoyed her engineering coursework, but found she didn't particularly like the lack of interaction with other people. Attending a session sponsored by the minority engineering program proved helpful. UM-Rolla alumnus and patent lawyer Veo Peoples spoke to students about his career path, and he influenced Walker to consider law. She enrolled in pre-law classes through the civil engineering program and hasn't "regretted it at all." Her mentoring relationship with Peoples continues to this day.

Walker, who received her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UM-Rolla in 1986, went on to graduate from Washington University with a juris doctorate in 1990. After serving as senior counsel for Deutsche Financial Services Corp., now known as GE Distribution Finance, she joined the St. Louis law office of Bryan Cave LLP, an 850-attorney international firm.

As a transactions lawyer, Walker works in the firm's banking and business finance group, where she represents lenders and borrowers in loan transactions. She also is a member of Bryan Cave's entrepreneurial, technology and commercial practice group, which counsels clients concerning entrepreneurial, information technology and commercial law matters.

"The University of Missouri is very spirited, in the positive sense of the word," Walker said. "There's a lot of pride in the System as a whole and on the campuses individually."

Walker practices what she calls preventive law, describing the attorney's job as to plan ahead. "It's good at the front end, when representing entrepreneurs in connection with starting a business, to think about exit strategies," she said, "and to get the client to think about what could happen in the future, and to assist the client to determine the potential solution or methodology."

Walker's partners and clients share high praise for her character and experience. "Cheryl and I have worked together for many years," said John Boyle, partner at Bryan Cave."Among her many strengths, Cheryl has demonstrated time and again the ability to find common ground —sometimes among some fairly divergent interests —in situations where none otherwise would appear to exist. It is an especially valuable legal talent that should translate well to the world of higher education.We are very proud of Cheryl and of her appointment to the board of curators."

Walker's client Reuben Charles, CEO of Citadel Partners, LLC, described Walker "as passionate as she is reasoned. I think it speaks volumes about the University's desire to have a broader set of perspectives weighing in on their institutional positions."

During her tenure on the board, Walker hopes to help resolve the budget issue without compromising the quality, accessibility and sustainability of educational programs. "We will have to be innovative in terms of how we address these issues," she said. "In addition to the curators, the University staff is very innovative and talented as well."

Another of Walker's goals is to assess what each of the campuses and the System does to support inclusion on all levels —internally from the students, staff and professors and externally in terms of services provided by those such as contractors, architects, accountants, attorneys and investment advisors.

Outside of her law practice and service to the board, Walker is active in the community. She is a member of the Tower Grove Park Board of Commissioners and of St. Louis Social Venture Partners. She also is a member of the boards of the Salvation Army and the Haven of Grace.

In her spare time, Walker's two passions are creative writing and working with children. She enjoys reading and writing her own poetry and, more recently, began giving public performances of her poetry. One of her highlights includes a poetry performance accompanied by the jazz music of her twin brothers, Dwayne and Dwight Bosman, and her late father, Lloyd A. Smith. "It's not engineering, it's not law, it's my artsy side," she said.

Walker feels pride will see the University through challenging times. "The University of Missouri is very spirited, in the positive sense of the word," she said. "There's a lot of pride in the System as a whole and on the campuses individually. That spirit has helped us, over the years, to keep climbing higher, and it's also that spirit which is going to sustain us in the difficult times."

Next	Previous