Honorable David M. Walker

Mr. Walker is a nationally and internationally recognized fiscal responsibility, government transformation/accountability, human capital, and retirement security expert. He has over 40 years of executive level experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, including heading three federal agencies, two non-profits, and serving as Comptroller General of the United States and CEO of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for almost 10 year.

Mr. Walker is also a writer, speaker and media commentator. He has authored three books, the latest was entitled Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility (2010), which achieved National Bestseller status, and he plans to publish a fourth book in 2021. He has appeared in several major programs and documentaries, including being the primary subject in a 60 Minutes segment and the critically acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.

Mr. Walker is currently the Distinguished Visiting Professor (William J. Crowe Chair) at the U.S. Naval Academy where he teaches the Economics of National Security. Previously, he served as a Senior Strategic Advisor for PwC’s Public Sector Practice (now Guidehouse). Mr. Walker was the Founder, President and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative (CAI). In this capacity he led CAI's efforts to promote fiscal responsibility and sustainability by engaging the public and assisting key policymakers on a non-partisan basis to help achieve solutions to America’s federal, state and local fiscal imbalances. During this period, he conducted a nationally recognized Fiscal Responsibility 
Solutions Tour that covered 10,000 miles and included 27 states plus D.C. 

Prior to founding CAI, Mr. Walker served as the first President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation that promotes fiscal responsibility. Previously, he served as the seventh Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for almost ten years (1998-2008). GAO conducts financial, performance and compliance audits, a range of policy and operational research and analyses, promulgates Generally Accepted Governmental Auditing Standards, and renders decisions on bid protests on federal contract.

Under Mr. Walker’s leadership, GAO underwent a dramatic and highly successful transformation which, among other things, resulted rightsizing the agency, significantly increasing it visibility, credibility and productivity, and achieving over $380 billion in financial benefits and many other non-financial benefits over a 10-year period.

Mr. Walker’s appointment as Comptroller General was one of his three presidential appointments each by different Presidents (i.e., Reagan, Bush 41, and Clinton) during his 16 years of total federal service. He was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate for all three of his Presidential appointments. His previous Presidential appointments were Assistant Secretary of Labor for the current Employee Benefit Security Administration, and as one of two Public Trustees for Social Security and Medicare. Mr. Walker also served as Acting Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Negotiator for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. He also has over 20 years of private sector experience, including approximately 10 years as a Partner and Global Managing Director of the Human Capital Services Practice for Arthur Andersen LLP. His initial private sector experience was with Price Waterhouse & Co., Coopers & Lybrand and Source Services Corporation.

Mr. Walker currently serves on various boards and advisory groups, including as Chairman of the Government Transformation Initiative Board, as a member of Advisory Committees for Institute for Truth in Accounting, the Center for the Study of the Presidency the Congress, the Center for State-led National Debt Solutions, and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. He previously served as Chairman of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC) for the United Nations, Chairman of the U.S. Intergovernmental Audit Forum, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, AARP, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the Partnership for Public Service, and the Connecticut Municipal Accountability Review Board. He is also a past member of the Trilateral Commission.

Mr. Walker is an inductee in the Accounting Hall of Fame, the Internal Audit Hall of Fame, the National Academy of Public Administration, and the National Academy of Social Insurance. In addition, he is a member of and has held various leadership positions in Rotary International and the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). Mr. Walker is a non-practicing CPA who has a B.S. in Accounting from Jacksonville University, an SMG Certificate from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, a Capstone Certificate from the National War College, and four honorary doctorate degrees from American University, Bryant University, Jacksonville University and Lincoln Memorial University. He has won numerous national and international leadership, professional, and public service awards, including top awards from two heads of state (i.e., Austria and Indonesia) and two U.S. Cabinet Secretaries (i.e., Defense and Labor), the top award for his CPA profession (i.e., AICPA Gold Medal), and the first and only Alexander Hamilton Award for economic and fiscal policy leadership from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and the Congress. 
 

Hon. David Walker's bio can be downloaded by clicking here.