Walt, like most Americans, is of mixed heritage. His father was from Irish descendants, while his mother’s parents were Yupik and Tlingit. When Walt’s father was killed in combat, these Native grandparents played a significant role in his raising within the small SW Alaska community of Nyac (which had a 1960 census of 54). After attending and graduating high school in Washington State, he returned to Alaska and worked in Bethel, until his family moved to Anchorage in 1969. Walt found his niche in public service, first as a US Marine, next as a volunteer firefighter and medic, and then into law enforcement. He had worked over 33 years at the Anchorage Police Department (APD), where he retired as the Chief of Police; this was followed by his appointment as Alaska’s Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety where he served for a little more than a year and a half. Walt has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Alaska Pacific University in Organizational Management, and has received additional training in Northwestern University’s Traffic Institute Staff and Command School; Harvard’s John F. Kennedy’s School of State and Local Government; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Executive Institute. Finally, in what Walt considers his greatest accomplishment is his marriage to his wife, Terry; and four surviving adult children and three grandchildren.