Tonette Marie Tarantino Walker (born October 19, 1955) served as the first lady of Wisconsin 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 army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

Early life and family

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

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, 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 largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

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/or 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 particula ...

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 state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Mich ...

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 The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually 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 ...

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

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.

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 Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

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