Get to Know our SRH Staff: Bob Walker, President/CEO
My role is to provide support for the staff, medical staff and volunteers who do an outstanding job serving our patients and families each day. Our hospital touches the lives of thousands of individuals every year in a positive way and I feel fortunate to be part of the team.
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I start my day with eggs, bacon and sausage cooked for me by Fernando in our cafeteria. He does an outstanding job! I spend a lot of my day supporting the leadership team and working with our Board of Trustees on strategic matters to ensure our patients continue to receive the excellent care they have received for almost 100 years.
I received a call from J. C. Montgomery in 1979 asking if I had an interest in working at Scottish Rite Hospital. Certainly, it was one of the best phone calls I ever received. Thanks, J.C.! I joined the staff shortly after this building opened in 1979. It was a true blessing to have the opportunity to work in a children’s facility well on its way to becoming the premier pediatric orthopedic hospital in the world.
What I enjoy most about working at the hospital is knowing a positive impact has been made on the lives of so many children and families. It is also a pleasure working with dedicated individuals who make this such a special place. I hear from people, just about everywhere I go, that their children’s lives have been transformed by the excellent care received at the hospital.Â
What was your first job? What path did you take to get here?
My first job was patching potholes for the City of Garland streets department. I worked for the city for seven straight summers and most of that time I drove a tractor, mowing right-aways. I learned the correct way to patch a pothole and the importance of air conditioning.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love being outdoors working in my yard, and I still drive tractors. I also enjoy running, exercising and working out daily.
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Three words to best describe you:
According to Belinda, I am absent-minded, disorganized and overly sensitive.
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What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
I would ask Kim Howard for a job in our grounds department. Our beautiful grounds are the first impression (and sometimes the only impression) that many people have of the hospital. The grounds team does a spectacular job keeping things looking beautiful and immaculate all year long.Â
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What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
My son Matt and I took a trip to Moab, Utah in our Jeep. Moab is known for rock crawling. In our Jeep, we completed Pritchett Canyon and Behind the Rocks (both very steep, rocky terrain) and White Knuckle Hill – which is self-explanatory.