MODERATORS

WALTER J. OLESZEK is a long-time Capitol Hill staff aide, starting his legislative career in 1968. He serves as a congressional specialist in a legislative support agency and has worked as either a full-time committee professional aide or consultant to every major congressional reform initiative since the late 1960s. As examples, he received a signing pen from President Richard Nixon when the chief executive signed the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 into law; in 1993, he served as policy director of the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress.

He has lectured before numerous academic, business, and professional groups, and participated in many parliamentary training programs around the globe in countries such as Poland, Romania, Nigeria, Chile, South Africa, and Thailand. Oleszek started his teaching career at Colgate University before coming to Washington, D.C. He continues his participation in academia by serving as a long-time adjunct faculty member at The American University. He was granted the adjunct distinguished teaching award by the University.

Oleszek is the author or co-author of a number of books on the Congress. They include Congress and Its Members, 10th ed. (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2006); Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process, 6th ed. (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2004); and Congress Under Fire: Reform Politics and the Republican Majority (Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 1997). He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Public Affairs, State University of New York at Albany.