LORETTA WALKER, Vice President – AT&T External Affairs, Bay Area
As Vice President of External Affairs for AT&T, Mrs. Walker heads the company’s local government and community affairs initiatives in the Bay Area.  Managing a team of senior professionals, she is responsible for AT&T policy and philanthropic initiatives in San Francisco, the Peninsula, and the East and South Bay areas. Mrs. Walker has held senior positions at the Company including the areas of Marketing, Public Affairs, Human Resources, Competitive Analysis, Quality, Regulatory, Cost Studies and Wholesale Sales. She has a deep commitment to the communities in which she lives and works, and throughout her career, has served as a member of numerous charitable, civic and cultural organizations.  Since relocating to the Bay Area, Mrs. Walker has been elected to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

What attracted you to Children’s Book Press?

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through our philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, we support projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs.

What motivates your giving?

AT&T’s financial grant to Children’s Book Press stems from our philosophy of supporting education, which has been a major focus for AT&T for more than a century. We are driven to help students succeed — in school, in the workforce and in life.  In the case of Children’s Book Press, we believe we’re helping nurture communications skills at a very young age. And after all, communications skill has and always will be at the very heart of our business.

What are your other charitable giving activities?

Our funding is being used to overhaul and update the Children’s Book Press website, which we think goes to the heart of good communication, education and cultural relevance. In today’s online-connected world, some children’s first encounter with a book may not be a book at all, but instead, an online version of it. Having a tight, easy-to-use, information-rich website extends the reach of this non-profit Press, and thus expands its audience of bright, young minds.

How will your gift make a difference?

Well, let’s sit back and watch as a child’s eyes light up as he/she reads an exciting, culturally-relevant story of interest, bringing the book to life. Because at AT&T, we believe that triggering new opportunities to help people of all ages connect is what we’re about -- connecting people, everywhere they live and work – and read!