Walker named next Hoosier Energy CEO

Current chief executive, Steve Smith, to retire in 2019

Donna Walker is currently the chief financial officer and executive vice president of Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative Inc. a non-profit generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale electric service to 18 member distribution cooperatives in central and southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois.  

Since joining the organization in 1995, Walker has progressively advanced to a senior executive level responsible for corporate strategy development, corporate communications, risk management oversight and reporting, capital planning, investor and credit agency relations, financial planning and management, treasury management and professional staff development. She led Hoosier Energy’s cross-functional committee in analyzing and seeking to influence federal energy policy decisions and spoke to issues and strategy at both national and state levels. 

Prior to joining Hoosier Energy, Walker was a business assurance manager with Coopers & Lybrand LLP in Indianapolis where she was responsible for financial statement and compliance audits of public and non-public clients in a variety of industries, including state and local government, telecommunications, environmental engineering and consulting, real estate, retail and non-profit. 

Walker is a life-long Indiana resident, received her Bachelor of Science in business with high distinction from Indiana University and is a certified public accountant. 

She was recognized as an Indianapolis Business Journal CFO of the Year nominee in 2017 and is an elite graduate of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service series. She resides in Bloomington with her husband, Ron.