David Walker

Board Member & Risk and Audit Committee Member

I spent 40 years working in the construction and property development sector, starting my career as a Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager in the Tees Valley. I worked on projects ranging from housing and schools to factories and retail developments. Later, I moved into urban regeneration and spent eight years with the Urban Regeneration Company in Sunderland, four of them as Chief Executive. Highlights of that time included securing funding for the Northern Spire bridge and winning back the Vaux site for the city.

The final part of my career was focused on regeneration and affordable housing development, before retiring in 2021. I joined North Star’s Board soon after. Having grown up in a council house, I know first-hand the challenges of poor-quality housing, and this has shaped my determination to see organisations like North Star build as many new homes as possible, while looking after existing customers and properties to the highest standards.

My background also gave me a strong work ethic, which I carry into my hobbies and voluntary work. I still have links to farming, and I enjoy driving my vintage Massey Ferguson 135 tractor at local shows. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I’m a big Formula 1 fan and enjoy following the sport.

Since retiring, I’ve also been able to spend more time volunteering. I support a refugee group in Richmond that helps families who worked alongside the UK and US armies in Afghanistan to settle into the community. I am also a Director of Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company, a social enterprise delivering projects to promote growth, cohesion and community pride. For me, giving back is a natural extension of the values I developed through my career, and I’m proud to be able to contribute to North Star.