NDI Staff: Biographies
Mark Wallem
Mark Wallem is NDI's senior resident director in the Philippines. He moved to the Manila office from Phnom Penh where he directed NDI's initiatives in Cambodia from 2002-2006 and Kathmandu where he oversaw Institute efforts in Nepal for three years. He joined the Institute in 1997 to conduct political party and parliamentary programs in Ukraine. Previous to NDI, Mark worked for 10 years with the majority caucus in the Minnesota State Senate. He has served in various Democratic Party offices and was elected as a delegate to the 1992 Democratic National Convention where he was the Minnesota State Whip for Clinton/Gore. His campaign management experience includes the successful 1993 election campaign of the first African-American/first woman mayor of Minneapolis. Mark earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law.