12 Facts About Katherine Wallman

Katherine K Wallman was an American statistician who served as the Chief Statistician of the United States from 1992 to 2017.

Katherine Wallman served as the United States government's representative to international statistical organizations.

Katherine Wallman grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of an elementary school teacher and a telephone company executive.

Katherine Wallman soon moved to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in Washington, DC, where she settled at the National Center for Education Statistics, working to strengthen ties between NCES and state education agencies.

The statistical policy office was buffeted during the Carter and Reagan Administrations, and Katherine welcomed the offer from the newly formed Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics to become its first executive director in 1981.

Katherine Wallman returned to federal service in 1992 as chief statistician, retiring from that position in early 2017.

Katherine Wallman served as vice chair of the OECD Statistics Committee.

Katherine Wallman remained active professionally after her retirement, serving on the Council of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan and other boards.

Katherine Wallman was a doer and a leader in the American Statistical Association from early in her career, becoming a fellow in 1983, serving as president in 1992, receiving a Founders Award in 2007, serving on the ASA Scientific and Public Affairs Advisory Committee, and working with the ASA Office of Science Policy on numerous projects in support of federal statistics.

Katherine Wallman was twice honored as a Presidential Meritorious Executive and received the Robert G Damus Award for significant, sustained contributions to the integrity and excellence of OMB.

Katherine Wallman was an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a founding member of the International Association for Official Statistics.

Katherine Wallman received the Population Association of America's Excellence in Public Service Award and the Julius Shiskin Award for Economic Statistics from the Washington Statistical Society and National Association of Business Economists.