Sonya Walton
Vice President, Economic Inclusion
Sonya Walton has been with Messer for over 17 years. For the past twenty three years, she has applied her expertise in supplier diversity, workforce diversity and community engagement to make the construction industry a better place for people from all backgrounds including minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. In her current role, she leads the Economic Inclusion department’s efforts to identify best practices and strategies to advance Messer’s supplier diversity program to the next level the company.
Sonya is a Certified Supplier Diversity Professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Sonya was recognized as Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s 2020 Leadership award, and Advocate of the Year award in both 2016 and 2019. She has been featured in the Who’s Who of Black Cincinnati publication, and is a graduate of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s Leadership Cincinnati USA and WE Lead programs; the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio’s Urban Leader Institute; and the YWCA Rising Star Leadership Program.
Sonya is a current board member of Covington Partners and the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America, and serves on the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s Local Advisory Committee. At Messer, she is an ESOP Trustee and chairs the Messer Women in Construction Committee and Supplier Diversity Leadership Team. Sonya’s former community responsibilities included: Vice Chair of the 2022 ArtsWave Community Campaign; past co-chair of the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s Local Advisory Committee; past board member of Lighthouse Youth Services; past board member for the Partnership for Supplier Diversity Professionals – Indianapolis; and past board member of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati.