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Accession No. OCA.2025.0005: Barbara Wainman, 2024 June
[identification of item], Barbara Wainman Oral History, SPEC.OCA.57.P, Ohio Public Policy Archives, Ohio State University
Contains computer and media files in the following formats: DOCX, MP4
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Processed by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2025 March; finding aid written by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2025 March
Barbara Wainman worked in the United States government in several staff positons over the course of her career. Following her graduation from Smith College in 1978, Wainman briefly worked as a reporter before obtaining a position with the House Republican Conference in Washington, D.C. as a legislative analyst. In 1981, she joined the congressional staff of Congressman Ralph Regula of Ohio as his Associate Staff on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and press secretary. Wainman worked for Regula for 17 years, until 1997 when she left for a position in the Bureau of Land Management where she was the Group Manager for the Legislative and Congressional Affairs office. In 1999, Wainman became the Associate Director of the Office for Communications and Publishing for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the first person to hold the position. In the role, she managed the USGS's Scientific Publishing Network. Wainman completed the Department of Interior Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program while at the USGS. She was moved to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2017, where she became the Assistant Director of the Office of Communications. Wainman retired from Fish and Wildlife in 2023 after 44 years of work in the federal government.
The Barbara Wainman Oral History dates from June 12th and August 30th of 2024, and consists of a digital video recording of the interview between Wainman and Ohio Public Policy Archivist Carly Dearborn, as well as an edited transcript of the same interview. Major topics discussed include Wainman's time on Capitol Hill working for Ohio Congressman Ralph Regula, and her further federal agency positions in the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She also reflects on how close-knit Regula's office was, his management style, and how demanding it was to work as a congressional staffer. Finally, Wainman compares her time in federal agencies to her time on Capitol Hill, as well as reflects on her career as a whole.
(1) MP4 file
(1) DOCX file