Retired Tacoma City Manager and long-time community activist James L. Walton has been named Tacoma Community College’s 2009 Distinguished Alumnus. Walton will be honored May 27 during a banquet at A Grande Affaire, 29 St. Helen’s Ave. in Tacoma.
Walton served the City of Tacoma in a variety of capacities for more than 31 years. He attended Tacoma Community College in 1969.
Walton’s past and current community involvements have included United Way of Pierce County, Campaign Chair, 2005; Tacoma Goodwill Industries, President, 2006-2007; Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Chair, 2006; Pierce County Charter Review Commission, Vice Chair, 2005; William M. Factory Small Business Incubator, Vice Chair, 2006-2008; Gottfried & Fuchs Foundation, board member; Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective, lifetime member; Sound Community Initiatives, board member; Franke Tobey Jones Retirement Estates, board member; Philanthropy Northwest, board member; and Tacoma Sunrise Rotary, past President, member.
He has received several awards and commendations for his service to the community, which include the Tacoma-Pierce County Municipal League’s Distinguished Citizen Award, the Southeast Optimist Club of Tacomas Certificate of Appreciation, the 1999 Washington City/County Management Associations Excellence in Leadership Award, the 2000 National Urban League Volunteer Community Service Award, the 2004 TCC Honorary Degree, the YouthBuild Award in 2005, and the City of Tacomas Community Service Award in 2009.
