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Christine Walker, MPPA    

Advocacy Expert; Founder of Chasing Hope Foundation & Author of "Chasing Hope...Navigating the World of the Special Needs Child"

Christine Walker brings both lived experience and professional expertise to her presentations. Blending humor, candor and warmth, Walker shares how anyone can be the change they want to see.

Whether the audience is a sitting in a conference room, or in an arena, Walker shares the top tips for effective advocacy for an issue, a campaign or international concern.

A native of Chicago, Walker started working in politics & government at a young age, beginning with an internship in the state senate as a high school senior. After graduating from Lake Forest College with a degree in Politics, Walker worked for elected and appointed officials in Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Switching to the private sector, Walker was part of Tiffany & Co.'s Corporate Sales organization. Awarded Rookie of the Year and two consecutive Winner's Circles, Walker enjoyed serving in both sales executive and management roles. Among the many rewarding clients Walker worked with were the Green Bay Packers, Eli Lilly, McDonald's, S.C. Johnson and Abbott Labs.

Following the birth of her second child, Walker traded in her Admiral's Club membership for a double stroller. Soon after, Walker found herself navigating the uncharted waters of having a child with special needs. Encountering obstacles to her son's care, Walker returned to her public policy roots and became a legislative advocate for mental health & special education.

Walker received a Master of Arts in Public Policy & Administration from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, with a specialization in legislative advocacy.

In 2013, Walker founded the Chasing Hope Foundation to support families like hers that were raising children with autism and related brain disorders.

Walker returned to Lake Forest College as an adjunct professor of Politics, in 2017 teaching public policy, American government, Legal Studies, Congress and Disabilities in the Classroom. In 2022, Walker helped create a Public Policy Studies offering at the College, including a signature program, the annual Public Policy Analysis Challenge.

Speech Topics


Advocacy 101: Want to Change the World? Change the Laws.

What can you do when you find something you don't like? Plenty! For anyone who has ever thought they wanted to change the world, or at least their neighborhood, Advocacy 101 has you covered.

This session will share the foundation of every advocacy effort, how to craft and deliver a message, in addition to how to share your story with a lawmaker. Attendees will learn how to create simple, effective and scalable advocacy campaigns for an issue, referendum or candidate important to them.

Real world success stories will be included, as will templates with suggested verbiage for successful advocacy efforts for any level of government.

Politics 101: What you need to know, but are afraid to ask.

Remember when talking politics was fun? It can be again! Learning the essentials of any political conversation can boost confidence, engagement & enjoyment in the process. This session will share with attendees how easy it is to master the key points & ideas of politics.

Are you Left? Right? Center? What's the difference? Attendees will come away with not only the basics of political terms, but also understand where they stand on party positions. The focus of the session is helping attendees feel more comfortable having conversations with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors on issues of the day, all without conflict.

The session fosters discussion among attendees regardless of partisan affiliation. Armed with the essentials of any political convo, guests will leave the session actually looking forward to talking politics.

Parenting a Child with Special Needs: Your Compass for a New Normal

You're familiar with ""Welcome to Holland"", the poem written by Emily Kingsley? Despite planning for a trip to Italy, she finds herself in Holland, completely unprepared & confused. These words ring true to nearly every parent raising a child with special needs: you might not have planned on Holland, but that's where you are.

In this unique session, family members of a child with special needs will learn some of the best skills necessary to thrive. How do you keep a marriage together? How can you parent your other children? What do you say to neighbors & strangers with questions? These are just a few of the topics presented in this session.

Ultimately, one child with special needs is like having three typical children. From the increased demand on time, finances, school resources, medical care, future planning, post-school employment and living, no two families are the same. It's important to begin with the end in mind, as well as stay focused on redefining success.

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