Letter: Stacey Walker is reliable leader

We stood along the track in the 'high-five line” at this year's Special Olympics Summer Games, greeting the athletes as they ran onto the field. Stacey Walker was at the head of the line, joining in the exhilaration of the day.

Being the grass roots volunteer that I am, it is not surprising that I came to know Walker. In President Barack Obama's election campaign, Walker was skilled in roles from canvassing door-to-door, making calls to voters, organizing at the local level and heading up campaigns as manager.

I learned how to contribute to the political process watching Walker do the things necessary to elect candidates he believed in, from the most basic volunteer work on up to running campaigns. I could always count on Walker for a smile and a thank-you after a shift volunteering. He knew how to recruit volunteers, how to train them in campaign work and treat them with respect. I was willing to make hundreds of calls knowing that Walker was at the helm and acutely aware of the importance of the volunteer. On the level of campaign management, Walker knew how to organize and to make himself known to voters and doing the necessary fundraising. Having grown up in Linn County allows him to know our community and work for a better life for all of us. I am supporting Walker because he never forgets to look out for my well-being and the citizens of Linn County.

Helane Golden

Cedar Rapids