At three years old, Scott Walker was placed in the foster care system in New York with his older brother and sister. “Being in a foster care environment at such a young age was not an easy transition but we were incredibly fortunate to be placed with a loving family that understood the importance of keeping us together,” said Walker. “The stability of a caring home environment where values were instilled in us from a young age, a compassionate social worker, and many mentors who guided me throughout adolescence and adulthood helped shape the trajectory of my personal and professional life.”
This is why Walker ultimately felt called to enter the field of social work more than 30 years ago and has spent most of his time in organizations working to combat homelessness. Today, he serves as the president and CEO of 3Keys Inc.
“I have dedicated my career to helping the most vulnerable members in our community access the services and support that will enable them to reach their potential,” said Walker.
3Keys Inc. is a nonprofit organization that exists for a single purpose: to end chronic homelessness. The organization’s mission is to develop and manage affordable permanent housing with onsite supportive services for adults facing the challenges of mental illness and homelessness and operates more than 475 permanent supporting housing units across six properties.
“Through a comprehensive and holistic approach to provide quality housing and supportive services, we are empowering our residents to regain stability, improve their well-being and achieve their full potential and independence,” said Walker.
Under Walker’s leadership, 3Keys has developed innovative and strategic plans that move the organization to realize positive results. These plans include effectively managing the financial growth of the organization while expanding the mental health services and recovery treatment services offered.
The partnerships developed in the two years Walker has served as CEO have been instrumental to the growth of 3Keys. The organization works with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that engages volunteer attorneys to provide business and legal services to the nonprofit, and The United Way that granted $64,000 for support service needs to assist with Veterans Administration referrals.
“Coming from a foster care environment would have been cause for me to be an underachiever,” said Walker. “Despite those circumstances, I persevered and fought through the situation and many years later, I find myself in a leadership position at a nonprofit organization with a huge amount of responsibility.”
