A plaque commemorating the service of former Southwest Regional Director James B. Walker names the Arroyo Hondo Archaeological Preserve in his honor.
Photo: Tracy Loe / TAC
On Nov. 16, 2023, members of the Conservancy staff joined former Southwest Regional Director James “Jim” B. Walker at the Arroyo Hondo Archaeological Preserve, located in the upper Rio Grande Valley southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to dedicate a commemorative plaque honoring his service to the organization. Walker served as the regional director and vice-president to the Conservancy from 1981 to 2022. The preserve is now named the “James B. Walker Archaeological Preserve at Arroyo Hondo.”
The Arroyo Hondo Pueblo ruins are located on a 12-acre site acquired during Walker’s tenure as regional director, where he conducted and coordinated a variety of research projects. Dating from circa A.D. 1300 to 1425, Arroyo Hondo Pueblo had approximately 1,000 rooms and is a precursor to the large Spanish settlements that arose in the area prior to Spanish contact.
Walker is a New Mexico native and holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of New Mexico. He has had extensive experience and education in real estate and cultural resource management, and continues to serve on the Conservancy’s board of directors.
