The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Kenneth Wollack is president of NDI. He has been actively involved in foreign affairs, journalism and politics since 1972.

Mr. Wollack joined NDI in 1986 as executive vice president. The Institute's board of directors, then chaired by former Vice President Walter Mondale, elected him president in March 1993.

Mr.Wollack has traveled extensively in Eastern and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa on behalf of the Institute's political development programs.

Now chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the Institute maintains offices in more than 70 countries and works to support democratic elections, political parties, parliaments, civic engagement and women’s political empowerment.

Before joining NDI, Mr. Wollack co-edited the Middle East Policy Survey, a Washington-based newsletter. He also wrote regularly on foreign affairs for the Los Angeles Times. From 1973 to 1980, he served as legislative director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Mr. Wollack has been active in American politics, serving on the national staff of the McGovern presidential campaign in 1972. He graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., and was a senior fellow at UCLA’s School for Public Affairs.

He has testified on numerous occasions before congressional committees, appeared on national television and radio, and spoken before world affairs councils across the country. He has served on various task forces sponsored by the Brookings Institution, the United States Institute of Peace, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for U.S. Global Engagement, the Atlantic Council, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Mr. Wollack currently is a member of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid and has served as chairman of the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Development Programme.

Selected writings and speeches from Mr. Wollack:

• Statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, congessional testimony, January 27, 2011
• Getting Convergence Right, Journal of Democracy, October 2010
• Assisting Democracy Abroad — American Values, American Interests, Harvard International Review, Fall 2010
• Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society, congressional testimony, June 9, 2010
• Wollack discusses democracy assistance at panel, September 4, 2008
• New Directions for Democracy Promotion, report, July 24, 2008
• Welcoming Remarks, 2007 Democracy Luncheon, speech, October 27, 2007
• Statement before the Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, congessional testimony, June 7, 2007
• A Bipartisan Vision of Latin America, speech, April 10, 2007
• Remarks honoring Vaclav Havel, speech, February 20, 2007
• Remarks at NDI's Madeleine K. Albright grant luncheon, speech, May 1, 2006
• The Deteriorating Political Situation in Cambodia, statement, January 13, 2006
• Remarks at the African Statesmen Initiative Symposium Opening Ceremony, June 6, 2005
• Challenges to democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean, statement before the House International Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, congessional testimony, May 9, 2005
• Remarks at the 2005 Win With Women luncheon, speech, May 4, 2005
• Statement to the Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Middle East and Central Asia, congessional testimony, May 4, 2005
• Anti-Corruption Strategy Policy, comments, Feb. 16, 2005
• Statement to the Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights, congressional testimony, July 7, 2004
• Achieving sustainable political change in emerging democracies: the political party challenge, speech, March 15, 2004
• Georgia after the Rose Revolution: Rebuilding democracy and stability, speech, February 24, 2004
• Opening Remarks, Global Forum - Win With Women, speech, December 10, 2003
• Empowering People: Strengthening Democratic Institutions and Civil Society, remarks, October 29, 2003
• Statement to the Committee on International Relations, congressional testimony, July 9, 2003
• Making Democracy Work for the Poor, speech, January 31, 2003
• Political parties in developing and developed countries, speech, December 17, 2002
• Remarks on the UNDP Human Development Report 2002, speech, July 25, 2002
• Remarks at the Journal of Democracy Symposium on "Democracy Promotion: The End of the Transition Paradigm?", remarks, January 11, 2002
• Remarks at the 14th Annual Averell Harriman Award, speech, November 28, 2001
• Remarks at Welcome Luncheon for International Leaders Forum, speech, August 14, 2000