Matt Walker
Vice President, Government Affairs
Matt Walker has served as Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Restaurant Association since 2012. In this role, he has been a leading advocate for the restaurant and foodservice industry—America’s second-largest private-sector employer – encompassing over one million locations nationwide. Walker's advocacy has earned him accolades, including repeated recognition as one of The Hill's Top Lobbyists.
Before joining the Association, Walker spent 14 years on Capitol Hill, where he held several senior positions. He served as Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, lead Counsel to the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Task Force on Manufacturing, and senior advisor to influential U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine). In these roles, he played a pivotal part in shaping critical policies and advancing bipartisan legislative solutions. Among his legislative achievements, he led efforts to resolve a nationwide credit crisis, helping the Small Business Administration reach record-breaking lending levels.
Walker also supported Senator Snowe’s work on the Senate Finance and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees overseeing a broad portfolio. His expertise and influence earned him recognition in major national publications as one of Capitol Hill’s top congressional aides.
A retired Army National Guard veteran, Walker held leadership roles in engineer, infantry, and joint forces units. During his deployment to Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, he was appointed U.S. liaison to South Korean and Polish forces and as project manager for their construction operations. He strengthened diplomatic ties and resolved key cultural, legal, and operational issues. Under his leadership, more than 25 major construction projects were completed in a combat zone without a single work stoppage.
Earlier in his career, Walker practiced law at Pierce Atwood, a premier firm with a robust national and international presence, where he focused on complex commercial litigation.
Walker garnered extensive experience in the hospitality industry while working in varying roles at five diverse restaurants.
Walker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and an Interdisciplinary in Legal Studies from the University of Maine, and a Juris Doctor from the Maine School of Law.