Tonette Marie Tarantino Walker (born October 19, 1955) served as the

first lady of Wisconsin The following is a list of the spouses of Wisconsin governors from 1933 to present, a position that is styled as First Lady or First Gentleman of the State of Wisconsin. As of 2017, there have been no female governors of the State of Wisconsin, and ...

from 2011–2019 as the wife of Scott Walker, the 45th

governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...

Early life and family

Tonette Marie Tarantino was born on October 19, 1955, in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, the daughter of Geraldine Marie (Minorik) and Anthony "Tony" Tarantino. Her father's family was Sicilian. She spent more than 20 years employed in the insurance industry before working for the

American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a United States-based nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about diabetes and to help those affected by it through funding research to manage, cure and prevent diabetes, including type 1 diabetes ...

. She was raised

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

First Lady of Wisconsin

Scott Walker hugs wife Tonette at 2016 Presidential announcement

In her capacity as the First Lady of Wisconsin, Walker worked in partnership with various foundations and non-profit organizations to better recognize, understand, and address the effects of trauma on the lives of children and families in Wisconsin. Walker also worked regularly with Teen Challenge of Wisconsin, a

faith-based organization A faith-based organization is an organization whose values are based on faith and beliefs, which has a mission based on social values of the particular faith, and which most often draws its activists (leaders, staff, volunteers) from a particular ...

dedicated to the healing and rehabilitation of teens and young adults with substance abuse addictions. In response to the devastating Japanese tsunami and earthquakes of 2011, Walker spearheaded the Wisconsin-Chiba Japan Relief Project, an ongoing effort to provide financial assistance to Japan. In 2011, Walker launched a monthly "Walk with Walker" event on local trails in the

State of Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to feature the natural scenery and beauty of the state. Walker also presents a Wisconsin Heroes Award each month. The award goes to a resident who voluntarily devotes his or her time and energy to a non-profit organization or cause. During the 2012 Wisconsin recall effort, Walker frequently gave speeches and delivered messages in support of her husband, telling supporters not to be ruled by anger, assuring them that Republican reforms were working, and thanking them for their support. She received threats during that time on her life and the lives of her husband and sons. In August 2012, Walker met with

First Lady of the United States First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a title typically held by the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been Code of law, codified or offici ...

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

prior to Michelle Obama's visit with the family members of the victims and those seriously injured in the shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek. Walker works in the development department for the

American Lung Association The American Lung Association is a voluntary health organization whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. History 1904–1918: Founding The organization was ...

Personal life

Walker married her first husband when she was 23, but he died of kidney disease by the time she was 30. Five years after her first husband's death, she was at a

karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...

night at Saz's State House restaurant when she first met Scott Walker, 12 years her junior. She and Walker wed in 1993 and are parents to two sons, Matt and Alex.

References

External links

First Lady of Wisconsin website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Tonette 1955 births American people of Italian descent First ladies and gentlemen of Wisconsin Former Roman Catholics Living people People from Milwaukee Wisconsin Republicans