As President of Walter Duke + Partners, a commercial real estate valuation firm founded in 1975, Walter has built a practice recognized nationally and globally for trusted counsel and strategic insight. A graduate of Broward County public schools and the University of Florida, his life reflects a deep commitment to the community that shaped him, a community anchored by Riverwalk and energized by its urban core.

Since joining the firm in 1985, he transformed it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise with a national footprint. His firm has worked on many of the high-rise multi-family and office towers that now define the skyline along the New River. Each year, it prepares the official economic impact study for Downtown Fort Lauderdale on behalf of the Downtown Development Authority, providing the analysis that guides investment, public policy, and long-term planning for the district that serves as the cultural and economic spine of our city.

As Mayor of Dania Beach, Walter led a period of meaningful growth. He cast the deciding vote approving the South Runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and oversaw the development of Dania Pointe, a transformative mixed-use project that created thousands of jobs.

In 2014, he redeveloped the City’s 115-slip municipal marina, procuring the majority of the project’s funding and minimizing taxpayer exposure. That same year, he led the dredging of the Dania Cut-Off Canal, reinforcing Broward County’s marine industry and generating substantial economic impact. For that leadership, he received the Golden Anchor Award, the highest honor bestowed by the marine industry.

More recently, Walter has focused on Broward County’s top issue: housing affordability. As founder and chair of the Broward Workshop Housing Affordability Committee, he helped secure $154 million in public investment and led approval of the County’s first 10-Year Affordable Housing Master Plan — dedicating $1.8 billion projected to produce more than 36,000 affordable housing units over 30 years without increasing taxes. For his vision and leadership in advancing these transformative housing initiatives, he received the Broward Workshop’s coveted Chairman’s Award.

Throughout his career, Walter Duke has helped shape Fort Lauderdale’s economic growth while recognizing the importance of the shared spaces that define our city’s character.