Vernetta Walker

Vernetta Walker is CEO and Chief Governance Gladiator of Vernetta Walker & Associates Consulting. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Vernetta served as Chief Governance Officer, Vice President of Programs, and Senior Advisor on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for BoardSource. With over two decades of experience as a nonprofit leader and consultant, Vernetta is passionate about helping organizations maximize their impact through exceptional leadership, intellectual engagement, and advancing DEI for mission impact. In addition to providing consulting and training, she is a frequent speaker on nonprofit leading practices, sector trends, and DEI.

Vernetta has worked with hundreds of public charities, associations, and foundations across the country and globally. Her clients have included the Easterseals, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, YMCA of the USA, the National Aquarium, Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and the Walt Disney Company.

Vernetta is an adjunct lecturer at Columbia University, where she teaches Nonprofit Governance and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Nonprofits and Philanthropy. She received a Juris Doctor degree from the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri, and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.