Jeff Walker

Senior Advisor

Jeff Walker is a Senior Advisor to the American Flood Coalition, where he supports flood resilience policy development and spreading best practices between states. Most recently, he was the executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) from 2016 until he retired in 2024. For more than 30 years, he served in various areas of the TWDB, including as an agricultural conservation specialist, a financial analyst, a non-point source coordinator, director of project development, and deputy executive administrator of water supply and infrastructure. He felt his experience throughout the agency was training for his role as executive administrator in what he calls the “best job in Texas.”

Under his leadership, TWDB has been named among top workplaces in Austin annually since 2017 and has demonstrated exemplary fiscal management of its bond sale programs, which continually receive the highest credit ratings. Over Walker’s last 10 years at TWDB, the agency delivered nearly $16 billion in financing for water projects in Texas. He also oversaw the implementation of a first-ever state flood program that initiated the first statewide flood planning and flood mitigation funding program for Texas. The first State Flood Plan will be adopted in August 2024.

Walker holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas State University and a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University. He also served as president and a member of the board of directors for the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities.

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Help Me Choose

Which characteristics is your community looking for in funding opportunities?

Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
Offers rolling deadlines
The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

Is your project in the planning, design, or construction phase?

Planning
The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
Design & scoping
Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
Construction & implementation
Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

Are you looking for grants, loans, or technical assistance for your project?

Funding (grants)
A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
Financing (loans)
A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
Technical assistance
Assistance from the government in the form of services — such as project planning, engineering and design support, data analysis, training, capacity building, or collaboration through a cooperative agreement — instead of direct funding.

Some programs provide extra support for specific project types or communities. Do any of these apply to your project?

Small or rural communities
Programs that set aside funding, offer loan forgiveness, or adjust cost share requirements for communities with smaller populations.
Small or low-cost projects
Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
Regional or watershed focus
Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.
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