Alcoa Names Keith Walton Vice President, Government Affairs

A native of Birmingham, AL, Walton has served as of counsel to Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, and as principal and chief administrative officer of Global Infrastructure Partners.

1/3/2011 --- Alcoa announced that Keith Walton has been named Vice President, Government Affairs, effective January 4, 2011. He succeeds Russell Wisor, who is retiring after 33 years of service.

Walton will lead all of Alcoa’s federal and state government affairs activities in the U.S. He will be based in the company’s government affairs office in Washington, DC.

“Keith brings to Alcoa a wealth of experience,” said Daniel Cruise, Alcoa’s Vice President, Global Government and Public Affairs. “We know he will represent Alcoa effectively as we continue to grow the role Alcoa aluminum plays in strengthening the U.S. economy and enhancing the sustainability of everything from beverage containers to automobiles. We expect him to have a long and successful career.”

A native of Birmingham, AL, Walton has served as of counsel to Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, and as principal and chief administrative officer of Global Infrastructure Partners. He also has served as executive vice president and secretary of the university at Columbia University in New York City.

Walton served at the United States Department of the Treasury as deputy chief of staff and chief of staff to the under secretary for Enforcement, Treasury’s chief law enforcement official. He assisted the under secretary in supervising federal law enforcement organizations that were Treasury bureaus at the time, including the U.S. Secret Service, Customs Service, ATF and IRS Criminal Investigative Division. He also served as deputy director of the White House Security Review.

Walton is an honors graduate of Yale College and the Harvard Law School. He is a member of the American Law Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission. He was a 2005 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

Walton succeeds Russell Wisor, who will retire effective February 1. “Russ Wisor has made enormous contributions to Alcoa, the aluminum industry and the U.S. economy over more than three decades,” Cruise said. “We wish him the very best for a long and enjoyable retirement.”