Publication

Milestones, Winter 1999

The Honorable Jenonne Walker, recently appointed Vice President for Europe, assumed the newly created post at the organization's Paris office on November It 1998. Walker retired in October as U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic after more than three years of distinguished service. During her appointment to Prague, she became interested in WMF's work through its projects in the Czech Republic, notably the former Liechtenstein family castles of Valtice and Lednice and their linking landscaped park land in southern Moravia. "I have always loved beautiful things and always have been an amateur enthusiast of art and architecture:' said the trim, viva-dous diplomat at WMF's New York headquarters just prior to her departure for Paris. "I have done a lot of reading, walking, and looking, so I was naturally interested in the work WMF was already doing at Valtice and Lednice castles when I arrived in Prague. Iwas able to assist the fund in money-raising with American companies with business interests in the Czech RepUblic and I knew the minister of culture, which was a big help."

The Valtice and Lednice castles, taken over by the Communist government, Walker said, have Hterrific potential for quality tourism in a rural section of the country. Prague is mobbed by tourists but the rest ofthe country isn't.

The castles-one baroque and the other neo-Gothic-form a wonderful complex and there are IS surviving follies in the park." Walker's roll at WMF will be to bring focus to WMF's European operation, coordinate efforts of the fund's European offices, attend functions on behalf ofWMF, and assist in locating potential future projects and partners. I'll be traveling a lot, though I'll be working out of our office in Paris," said Walker. HI know I was very helpful to WMF in Prague and I'm very proud of that. I hope that now I can be helpful on a broader scene in Europe. I love the organization and what it does and the people involved."

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