Former U.S. Reps. Val Demings and Marian "Mimi" Walters to Visit Claflin University for “Congress to Campus” Civics Initiative

Former U.S. Reps. Val Demings (D-FL) and Marian "Mimi" Walters (R-CA) represent more than 60 years of combined legislative experience. Demings and Walters will participate in a Town Hall discussion at Claflin University on Monday, October 2, at 3 p.m. in the V.W. Middleton Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and the public is invited. On Tuesday, October 3, Demings and Walters will visit classrooms and speak to Claflin students.

The event is part of the association of Former Members of Congress's (FMC) "Congress to Campus" Civics Initiative. The program is presented by Claflin’s Center for Social Justice and the Department of Social Sciences.

FMC has dispatched Former Members of Congress, one from each side of the aisle, to meet with thousands of young Americans at dozens of colleges and universities nationwide. According to an FMC release: "These discussions are organic, spontaneous, and completely student driven. They are laser-focused on increasing an understanding of what Congress is, why it works when it does, and how to fix it when it doesn't."

FMC is a bipartisan, nonprofit, voluntary alliance of Former Members of Congress standing for America's Constitutional system. FMC seeks to deepen the understanding of our democratic system, domestically and internationally, and to engage the citizenry through civic education about Congress and public service.

Demings, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., served in the U.S. House of Representatives (FL.-10th District) from 2017 to 2023. She served on the Judiciary, Intelligence, Homeland Security (chairing the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery) and Oversight and Government Reform committees.

Prior to joining Congress, Demings worked in law enforcement for nearly three decades and served at every rank level at the Orlando Police Department. She was Orlando's first female chief of police from 2007 to 2011. She is currently an executive fellow with the Bipartisan Policy Center, a not-for-profit organization that ensures policymakers work across party lines to craft bipartisan solutions.

Demings was the first in her family to attend college. She earned a bachelor's degree at Florida State University and a master's in public administration at Webster University. She has received innumerable awards throughout her career and worked with numerous organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, and many others.

Walters represented California's 45th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019. She worked on key legislation, business, and policy initiatives related to technology, energy, environment, and healthcare, including the opioid crisis and veterans' medical services. As a member of House leadership, she served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Before her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Walters was a member of the California State Senate, where she served on the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee and vice chair for the Public Employment and Retirement Committee. She previously served as a member of the California State Assembly and mayor of Laguna Niguel, Calif. Walters was a councilwoman and chair of the city council's Investment and Banking Committee.

Prior to her career in public service, Walters was an investment professional at Drexel Burnham Lambert and Kidder, Peabody & Co. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Walters' pro-business record in her twenty-two years of public service and private sector experience gives her a unique perspective on the relationship between business and government. Walters is a problem solver who knows how to navigate all levels of government.