Nat Walker of Greensboro will serve as president of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame for a two-year term expiring December 31, 2010.

Walker, a native of Reidsville, has been on the Hall of Fame Board of Directors since 1987 and served a prior term as president in 1989-1990.

“The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame has inducted a wide range of sports legends continuously since its first class in 1963.  Its rolls contain the names of over 250 men and women who have made significant achievements in athletics in the state.  Many of them have donated personal artifacts to the Hall and these are contained in the Hall of Fame’s permanent display at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. 

“Our Gallery at the Museum of History contains exhibits that tell the wonderful story of our state’s sports heritage through the inspiring careers of outstanding North Carolina athletes and coaches.

“I look forward to continuing the advances we made in the prior two years under the leadership of Wilt Browning.  We have sought to expand and strengthen our efforts to reach out to all the citizens of North Carolina as we celebrate the extraordinary history of athletics in our state. 

“In the coming months and years we are going to make people throughout the state more aware of this legacy and the positive influence that sports has had on all of our lives.  We feel a special obligation to help young people learn the lessons that sports teaches about teamwork, fair play, perseverance and physical fitness.”

Before retiring in 2000, Walker was an external relations official for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. for 21 years.  His assignments included being director of public relations for the company’s sports marketing programs, primarily motor sports and men’s and women’s professional golf.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1965 with a degree in journalism, Walker was a news reporter and editor for the Greensboro Daily News, serving as the newspaper’s city/state editor for five years before joining R.J. Reynolds in 1979.

He and Linda have been married for more than 40 years.  They are the proud parents of two sons, Tom and Jonathan, and the delighted grandparents of Jill.