Jen Gilchrist Walker

Project Manager

Office: 919-843-3079
Fax: 919-843-3083
jg_walker@unc.edu

Bio

Jen Gilchrist Walker is a Project Manager at Active Living By Design (ALBD). She helped to develop Fit Community, a designation and grant initiative funded by the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund to recognize and reward North Carolina communities for enabling healthy lifestyles through supportive policies and community design. She manages Fit Community's administrative aspects, spearheads the community designation process, and provides direct technical assistance to grantees and program applicants.

Jen notes, "I love the cross-pollination that happens in our work - we're able to help communities succeed by connecting them with resources, ideas and each other, but I think we learn just as much from their experiences and success." She believes strongly in the value of collaborative and grassroots efforts to create healthier community environments for all citizens.

Previously, Jen was the Assistant Director of Operations at Prest & Associates, Inc., an independent review organization specializing in behavioral healthcare, and also instructed fitness classes at the Monkey Bar Gymnasium in Madison, WI. Both experiences led her to pursue a career in preventative health. In 2004, she entered the master's program in Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and joined the ALBD staff as a Graduate Research Assistant.

Jen received dual masters' degrees in public health and city and regional planning from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in psychology with a minor in biomedical ethics from Lawrence University of Wisconsin.

Outside of the office, she enjoys reading fiction, cooking and embarking on outdoor adventures with her husband and their dog. She participates in an annual charity bicycle ride and finished her first half marathon in 2009!

Active Living / Healthy Eating Stories

Until I invested in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share, a weekly box of vegetables from a local farmer, the main vegetables in my repertoire were either canned or pre-cut and sorted in a plastic bag. I'd never thought much about the origins of my food, let alone prepared things like kohlrabi, collards, kale and beets, but the need to use them all before the next box arrived resulted in inspiration, creativity, and learning in the kitchen! The following summer my husband and I planted our own small garden, giving a non-green thumb like myself a new appreciation for farmers and gardeners everywhere. Through our journey of awareness about the benefits of healthy, fresh, and local foods, I find myself more deeply grateful for the sustenance that reaches my table every day.

"Coach Wilson," I panted - out of breath and miserable after my first day of practice as a high school freshman, "I don't think I'm cut out for cross county." Despite growing up in an active family where outdoor play, biking and walking was routine, I was still that unathletic kid who was always picked last for gym class. The coach somehow convinced me to join the team, and four years later, he recalled my words while presenting me the team captain honor. Through the structured and supportive team environment, I developed confidence and a love for running that remained with me through adulthood. Living in a supportive community also helped. When budget cuts jeopardized the cross country program, parent advocates rallied to save it. Additionally, my small hometown had many safe running and walking routes, an advantage I then took for granted. I am grateful to be involved with the Active Living movement because I believe so strongly that it does take many layers of support for people to be active and healthy, but the benefits to both individuals and communities are well worth the effort.