David Walker
President and CEO of the
Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Former Comptroller General of the United States

David Walker’s keynote address will feature "What Would the Founders Say?: How America Can Get Back on Track." You will learn lessons from history and our modern-day financial challenge, how the country arrived at its present condition and the implications of our "status
quo" path and measures that must be taken to right the country’s financial ills.

Like a modern-day Paul Revere, David warns that while our country's current fiscal crisis is eerily similar to the downfall of Rome, Americans have a proven historical capacity to overcome any challenge when “We the People” wake up and get going. David shares an engaging historical perspective that takes listeners from Rome to the Founding Fathers' original intent, and from today’s modern-day challenges to tomorrow’s opportunities. In spite of the fiscal crisis, David imparts his faith that Americans will respond with commitment to the sacrifices required to make sure that our future is better than our past.

As President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, David advocates for specific policy solutions, works proactively with grantees and other partners to build strong coalitions for positive change, and encourages and engages in grassroots efforts to bring pressure on Washington to act and hold people accountable if they fail to act.

Prior to joining the Peterson Foundation, David received three presidential appointments and unanimous Senate confirmations, one each from Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and
Bill Clinton. His most recent was as U.S. Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 1998-2008. He previously served as a Public Trustee for
Social Security and Medicare, and as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Pension and Employee Benefit Programs. His career also includes twenty years in the private sector, where his last position was serving as a partner and global managing director at Arthur Andersen LLP.

David currently serves on various boards and advisory committees, including as Chair of the United Nations Independent Advisory Committee. He has authored two books and is working on a third, and is a frequent commentator and Congressional witness. David is also featured in the critically acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A., which premiered in theaters around the country in August 2008.