Walter was elected to the Arlington County Board on March 11, 2003, in a Special Election, making him the first Latino ever elected in Arlington County. On November 4, 2003, he was re-elected and is currently serving a full four-year term.

While on the County Board, Walter has focused on involving more diverse stakeholders in Arlington’s civic dialogue. He has worked with community groups to address perennial issues such as affordable housing, community and economic development, education and employment, fiscal accountability, parks and recreation, and many others. For example, Walter spearheaded the creation of the Community Role Models Initiative, promoting civic engagement among young adults through educational and service opportunities.

Walter is also deeply involved at the state and regional level. In 2003, he was appointed by Virginia Governor Mark Warner to serve as the first Chairman of the Virginia Latino Advisory Commission. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Human Services Policy Committee, serving as Chairman in 2004 and 2005, and is a member of the COG Public Policy Safety Committee. And in October 2006, he was appointed by Governor Tim Kaine to the Governor’s Urban Policy Task Force, a Cabinet-level task force that will review economic, social, and fiscal conditions in Virginia’s urban areas.

Even before joining the County Board, Walter was an active community leader. He spearheaded the creation of the Shirlington Employment and Education Center, which helps provide opportunities for workers. At the county level, Walter served on a number of citizen advisory groups, including the Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission, the Affordable Housing Task Force, the Sports Commission, the Neighborhood Day Organizing Committee and the Bicentennial Celebration Task Force. At the state level, Walter was the founding chairman of the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO), the founding president of both the American Salvadoran Association of Virginia and the Latino Democrats of Virginia, and was State Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

For his many years of service, Walter received the “Spirit of Community Award” from the Arlington Community Foundation, and was named “Outstanding Young Arlingtonian of the Year” by the Arlington Jaycees. Among other awards, in 2003 he was honored by the Youth Project with the “Community Leader Award”, and DC United has honored him with their “Community Hero Award.” On May 22, 2007, the Ethiopian Community Development Council honored Walter with their “Distinguished Service Award” for outstanding leadership and community service. On June 14, 2007, Walter Tejada received the annual Greater Washington Ibero American Chamber of Commerce Appreciation Award for his unwavering support of the Latino Business and Entrepreneurial Community in our region.

Born in El Salvador, Walter moved to the United States at the age of 13. He studied Government and Communications at George Mason University and has worked as an investigator, a business consultant and as an aide to Congressman Jim Moran. He has lived in the Dominion Hills neighborhood of Arlington for 15 years with his wife Robin, an Arlington Public Schools educator and recipient of the prestigious Teacher of the Year Award in 2003.

Appointments/Elected Positions Held While on the County Board

• Arlington County Board - Vice Chair (2007); Member (2003-2007)
• Virginia Latino Advisory Commission – Chairman
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Human Services Policy Committee – Chairman (2004, 2005)
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Public Safety Policy Committee
• Communications Committee, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
• Human Development & Education Steering Committee, Virginia Municipal League
• Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, National Association of Counties
• National Association of Hispanic County Officials – Secretary
• Governor’s Urban Policy Task Force
• Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary Advisory Committee
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History Latino Advisory Council
• DC United's Hispanic Advisory Committee

Appointments/Elected Positions Before Being Elected to the County Board

• Arlington Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission
• Arlington Affordable Housing Task Force
• Arlington Sports Commission
• Neighborhood Day Organizing Committee
• Bicentennial Celebration Task Force

Community Organizations

• Latino Democrats of Virginia – Founding President
• Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO) – Founding Chairman
• American Salvadoran Association of Virginia – Founding President
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) – Former Virginia State Director
• Shirlington Employment and Education Center – Founding Chairman
• Arlington Community Foundation Scholarship Review Committee
• United Way Grants Review Committee
• Arlington Multicultural Institute
• Immigrant Rights Coalition of Greater Washington
• United Salvadoran Communities
• Arlington Sister City Association
• Child and Family Network – Honorary Board Member
• Bowen McCauley Dance Company – Honorary Board Member
• Committee of 100
• League of Women Voters
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• DC Panache Soccer Team