Mark Walker Biography
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Mark Walker was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala and spent over forty years helping disadvantaged people in the developing world. He managed programs abroad with CARE and Plan International and for over thirty years raised funds for such organizations as Food for the Hungry, MAP International, Global Brigades, Make A Wish International and was the CEO of Hagar USA, which supports survivors of human trafficking. A long time Rotarian, Walker was the Club President of Scottsdale North Rotary, the District World Community Service Chair for three years and active in the Youth Exchange program where all three of his children went to Germany or France.
Writer
His memoir, Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, was recognized by the Arizona Literary Association for Non-Fiction. More than 20 of his articles were published in literary journals ranging from Ragazine, Literary Yard, Literary Travelers, Quail Bell, WorldView and Revue Magazines. He is a contributing writer for the Revue Magazine, a Guatemalan English language publication. He has a column in the Arizona Authors Association newsletter, “The Million Mile Walker, What We Read and Why,” and his reviews can also be found on the Midwest Review Book Shelf and GoodReads. “Hugs not Walls, Returning the Children” was an essay winner for the Arizona Authors Association 2020 Annual Literary Awards and reissued in the December edition of Revue Magazine. Another article from his, “Yin & Yang of Travel” series, was recognized in the Solas Literary Awards for Best Travel Writing.
Member Spotlight: Congratulations to Mark D Walker. Peace Corps Worldwide highlighted his new book, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, on May 31st, 2022. It rolled out June 1st. Here is the link https://peacecorpsworldwide.org/my-saddest-pleasures-50-years-on-the-road-by-mark-d-walker-guatemala/
Susan Pohlman of the Writers Network said, “…Mark Walker celebrates fifty years of wandering the globe from isolated areas of the highlands of Guatemala to the highest reaches of the Andes to his present home in the desert Southwest. In his engaging and informal style, Walker shares his trials and tribulations. Whether you’re an armchair traveler or a seasoned one, Walker’s life and travels will be an inspiration!”
The editor of the Arizona Authors Association Katy Cook said, “In this glorious little travel chapbook, Mark relays his epic journey through life in a vivid, emotional, humorous and insightful account. His remarkable passage through dangers and delights gives witness to the fact that, whether traversing precarious depths or astounding peaks, he has always truly lived, unlike many armchair adventurers. Mark evidences the fact that you don't need money or connections to travel the world. All you need is courage, fortitude, and a yearning to experience all the different flavors of life. Mark was obviously blessed with those gifts in abundance, as well as one more: an incredible wife. His description of Ligia evokes a deep respect in me. She's the kind of woman I'd love to know as a friend. In fact, I'd love to meet both of them and revel in their myriad and fascinating stories, and perhaps share a round of that intriguing "tiger milk." Until then, I'll keep reading all of Mark's wonderful tales.”
RPCV/Author One Hundred Fires in Cuba, John Thorndike says, "...Not every day runs smoothly but his bright portraits are an inspiration to those who recently have been dragging their feet!"
And, June 1st, his latest essay for Revue Magazine came out and it profiles the life of local poet Earl de Berg, “Allegro for Guatemala: An Expatriate Journey Through the Land of the Eternal Spring.” This will be his 17th essay in this publication which emanates from Antigua, Guatemala.