An accounting career with one of the “Big Four” firms may not be the obvious experience to lead a group of Madison-based radio stations. Doing the unexpected, however, runs in the Walker family and being a voice in the community is part of their DNA. United Way of Dane County is grateful for the Walkers’ multi-generational partnership, and we’re pleased to recognize Thomas A. Walker with the 2025 Tocqueville Society Award.
Tom is the third generation of his family to be inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Hall of Fame. His grandfather, William E. Walker, was an early radio pioneer who built a network of Wisconsin stations. His father, William R. Walker, expanded that network and developed a unique business model encouraging station manager-owners. In 1990 Tom returned to Madison to join the family business bringing a decade of accounting and corporate finance skills to radio management. Mid-West Family Broadcasting became Mid-West Family Madison as local radio has evolved to include additional advertising platforms and deepened its local market identity for listeners and businesses. With Tom’s guidance the company has navigated regulatory changes in a new media landscape, and he has devoted years to serving his industry on the WBA and WBA Foundation Boards and by establishing the Walker Broadcast Management Institute.
Tom’s business and community involvement mean that his life has intersected with many people in Madison. Darrell Behnke has known him since their daughters studied dance together and later as Edgewood High School parents. Tom served on the US Bank Madison Local Board when Darrell was Vice President of Wealth Management. “Mid-West Family is not just a business name to him,” explains Darrell. “Tom has a deep sense of connection to community and does it in quiet ways. His return to Madison to join his dad in the business is a prime example of this.”
Tom’s relationship with United Way of Dane County is longstanding. His grandfather was a Red Feather donor (United Way’s early name) and his father was a steady annual giver. A Loyal Contributor since 1991 and Tocqueville Society member beginning in 2002, Tom amplified his financial support with volunteer roles throughout the organization. “I appreciate that I was able to volunteer while working,” notes Tom. “United Way has been an obvious place to volunteer because of the leadership role it takes in solving community issues. It takes accountability for results and understands that money is a tool to create impact.”
As chair of the Tocqueville Society in 2012 and 2013, he helped recruit 44 new members and raised $7.3 million to fuel United Way’s mission over the two years. Tom also influenced the following year’s campaign when his vice chairs, Barb and Pat Finley, took the reins. “Pat and I were delighted and honored to work with him,” Barb reflects. “Although we were engaged in important work, Tom always led with a good dose of wry humor and laughter. There is no reason hard work shouldn’t be fun!”
Tom recommended more strategic outreach by Tocqueville volunteers and to better personalize donor communications. Understanding that new donors, renewing donors and longtime donors have different relationships with United Way not only helped to grow the Society, that approach continues to inform our efforts today.
Additionally, he knew that our fundraising success depends on explaining the impact that those donations leverage. Tom asked that we create a one-pager for Tocqueville members so they could see at a glance the total dollars raised – from community members, corporate and foundation donors and government grants – and how those funds are invested into programs serving Dane County families. It’s an example of how Tom’s accounting, marketing and philanthropic hats could be worn at the same time helping to increase United Way’s significance among even our biggest supporters.
When Tom’s father was a member of the United Way Board in the early 1990s, volunteers discussed the need for sustainable funding for the mission and approved the incorporation of United Way of Dane County Foundation. Twenty-three years later, Tom became a Foundation Trustee. He has established three named funds: one in honor of Mid-West Family employees, another to endow an annual Tocqueville gift for his parents William and Eleanor Walker, and a fund for his own Tocqueville Legacy Circle gift. In doing so, Tom commented that it only makes sense for Tocqueville members to perpetuate their support.
Tom’s media experience led him to chair United Way’s Marketing Committee. He urged leadership to include more broadcasters on the Board of Directors noting that newspapers had long had a seat at the table. Tom represented his industry on the board as Marketing Chair and then as Treasurer, proving that volunteers bring a lifetime of experience and innovation to their United Way roles.
Tom’s five adult children (ages 23 to 34) have found careers serving others in fields as varied as environmental science to veterinary to speech pathology. They live in different communities now, and their dad is proud that they’ve each charted their own unique courses, doing what drives their passions. “They’re really good people who’ve found their own paths,” Tom observes. “They prove that there’s hope for our world.” In a family of avid downhill skiers, he’s taught his children how to successfully navigate moguls in life and celebrate a challenging run.
As his kids grew up, Tom was a regular at Madison-area swim meets with High Point Swim Club where he volunteered as emcee. A proud alum, he supported family events at Queen of Peace school and Edgewood High School. Tom even performed multiple times in The Nutcracker with his daughters dancing, although he is quick to point out that he was in the cast for talents other than ballet.
Tom’s grandfather and father preceded him in Rotary Club of Madison. He’s a 35-year-member and has participated in a number of ways including as Sargeant at Arms, on Rotary International Committee and as Trustee of the Rotary Foundation. These three generations of Walkers graduated from UW-Madison, and Tom has returned to his alma mater teaching accounting classes.
Through his volunteer roles, Tom has partnered with many United Way staff members. “It’s really hard to grow leadership from within when you have strong leaders, and it’s very rare to see this.” He commends President & CEO Renee Moe for her career as they’ve worked together in marketing, resource development and now the executive office. The appreciation is mutual, and Renee points to Tom co-chairing the Safe and Healthy Aging Delegation in 2010. The year-long volunteer team engaged medical professionals, community members and service providers before recommending strategies to help older adults live safely in the homes of their choosing. Tom championed awareness of how an increasing number of medications is detrimental, especially for older adults.
“Whether telling an effective story to raise significant funds or championing innovative ways to reduce older adult falls and improve community health for all, Tom is ever-interested in learning, doing and asking the smart questions to get other people to think differently,” explains Renee, “not only because he has informed opinions but because he wants everyone to consider other perspectives to make the best decisions. Tom is a catalyst for positive change who takes calculated risks and challenges everyone around him to do that, too.”
We’re grateful that Tom Walker cares for United Way of Dane County like his own family. Our community is better because of his dedication and support.
