Walker Hines (Louisiana politician)

Walker Hines (born 1984) is a businessman and entrepreneur from New Orleans, Louisiana, who served a single term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 95 in Orleans Parish, which was shifted to Livingston Parish beginning in 2012.^[1]

Life and career

In the 2007 primary, at the age of 23, Hines, the youngest candidate, defeated seven others to advance to a runoff against Una Anderson, a former Orleans Parish School Board President. Hines defeated Anderson in the runoff, earning 53% of the vote.

District 95 comprised the Uptown, Carrollton, and Hollygrove neighborhoods of New Orleans.^[2] but was shifted to Livingston Parish with the 2011 redistricting. While serving his term, Hines switched political parties to the Republican party. In doing so, he shifted the balance of power in the state's lower chamber from Democrats to Republicans. The seat remained Republican in the 2011 elections with the victory of Sherman Q. Mack to succeed Walker.

Hines is a former Democrat who turned Republican in November 2010. After indicating that he would not seek reelection to the House, Hines announced his candidacy for Louisiana Secretary of State in the October 22 nonpartisan blanket primary against incumbent, and ultimate victor, Republican Tom Schedler of St. Tammany Parish. Hines withdrew from the election three days after Louisiana House Speaker Jim Tucker announced he was running for the seat.^[3] Thereafter, Hines said that he would seek no office in 2011 but would return to elective politics at some time in the future.^[2]

The son of law firm Jones Walker Managing Partner Bill Hines^[4] and Mary Hines, Hines was born and reared in New Orleans. After attending Isidore Newman School, he graduated from Metairie Park Country Day School in Metairie in Jefferson Parish. He received the Bachelor's degree in 2007 from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He then completed the Executive Education program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a financial analyst at Capital Investment Management, Inc., in New Orleans from 2007-2013. He was also vice president of the sales company, Direct Digital Marketing, LLC.^[2]

Walker Hines was born and raised in Uptown New Orleans. In 2007, at the age of 23, Hines defeated seven opponents to earn a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing District 95 - New Orleans. Hines was the second youngest member to ever serve in the Louisiana Legislature.

As a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Hines served on the Judiciary, Civil Law and Procedure, Health and Welfare, Joint Highway Priority Construction on Transportation, and the House and Joint Homeland Security Committees.

After completing his first year in the Legislature, Hines was voted 3rd "Best Legislator" by readers of The Gambit, the largest weekly newspaper in Louisiana. He trailed only U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu and a colleague in the House of Representatives.

In 2009, Hines became the first elected official in the United States to pitch legislation he authored prior to the 2009 Legislative Session on Policy Pitch, an innovative, online forum that allows ordinary citizens to pitch new policy ideas at the local and state level, collaborate with others to refine and promote their policies, and transform that online communication into real world action. His bill was quickly elevated to the most popular policy pitch, receiving over a thousand views in the first week, and maintained that position for several months.

Hines was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, dedicated to preserving Lincoln's legacy in the classrooms. He was also appointed to serve on the Louisiana Information Technology Advisory Board and Legislative Youth Advisory Council.

In 2009, Hines was appointed to represent Louisiana as a member of the Human Services and Welfare Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Hines served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, and New Orleans Area Habitat For Humanity.

Hines was a member of America's Wetland Foundation, dedicated to reversing Southern Louisiana's eroding coastline. In 2009, Hines served as an Honorary Co-Chairman of Storm Warning: Last Stand for America's Wetland.

Hines' many charitable donations included: American Cancer Society, Patron of the Meals on Wheels Program, University of New Orleans Foundation, Food For The Poor, Trinity Christian Community, Harrell Park Boosters, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans Film Society, Jewish Family Services, New Orleans Sports School, Mia Heart Foundation, WYES Public Television, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Bridge House, March of Dimes, Hollygrove Farmers Market, Leonidas House, UNITY of Greater New Orleans, Victims and Citizens Against Crime, Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation, Dress For Success, Gerttown Community Development Center, Warren Easton Charter Foundation, Audubon Institute, Colin Goodier Medical Scholarship Fund, Louisiana Retired Teachers Association, and Oak Street Association.

Hines previous employment includes working in Television Production at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California; Staff Assistant to Congressman Chris John (D-LA) in Washington, D.C.; Production Assistant for CBS News in New York City; Research Assistant at the Inner Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan; and Analyst at The Cypress Group, LLC in Washington D.C.

Hines is employed by Capital Investment Management, Inc., a New Orleans-based holding company for real estate and venture capital investments.

Hines was an Advisory Board Member of Enhanced Capital Partners, a national investment firm, specializing in investments in small and mid-size companies.

Hines graduated from Metairie Park Country Day School, where he was elected as President of the Student Government. He earned a bachelor's degree from The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where he was accepted into the National Scholars Honor Society. In 2010, he graduated from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Hines, a practicing Roman Catholic, frequents many Churches of all denominations.

In his life after public service, Hines has taken up an avid hobby of food-blogging. On July 27, 2014, Hines announced his ambition to publish a list of the 10 best restaurants in the USA, judging "...not just the food quality and execution but all facets of a perfect dining experience."

After temporarily relocating to New Jersey in 2013, Hines served as "Special Projects" Manager to the President of the Prudential Center and New Jersey Devils. In December 2014, Hines left the Prudential Center and NJ Devils after he successfully raised private equity and started Will Walker Records, LLC, an independent record label based in New Orleans. Hines signed Joel Adams (singer), an 18 year-old, Australian pop singer/songwriter and is currently pursuing a career in music business. Hines resides in New Orleans but travels frequently and splits time between New Orleans, New York City, Los Angeles, and Australia.

In January of 2016, Hines endorsed Senator Marco Rubio in his bid to be the GOP Presidential nominee.

References