Congressional Staff Oral History Project

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https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/104817

The Congressional Staff Oral History Project is administered by the Ohio Public Policy Archives with the purpose of documenting the function and processes of the U.S. Congress through interviews with congressional staffers of Ohio's delegation. This collection consists of transcripts and audio recordings of these oral interviews. For more information, contact the Public Policy Archivist (dearborn.8@osu.edu)

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    Interview of Barbara Wainman by Carly Dearborn
    (Ohio Public Policy Archives, 2024) Wainman, Barbara
    In her oral history interview Barbara Wainman reflects on her early ambitions in journalism, her educational experiences at Smith College and the circumstances that led her to public service. Wainman spent 17 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman Ralph Regula (OH-16), first as his staff to the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and then as his press secretary. She describes the close-knit nature of Regula's office, his management style, and mentorship. Following the 1994 "Republican Revolution" Regula became chair of the Interior Subcommittee, making him one of the thirteen House appropriations "cardinals." Notably, Wainman details the successful negotiation to preserve the National Biological Survey, the development of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the formation of the Ohio and Erie National Heritage Corridor, one of only nine such national heritage corridors at the time. Wainman reflects on the demanding nature of work as a congressional staffer and its toll on her family life, resulting in the difficult decision to leave Capitol Hill and Mr. Regula's office. She left for The Bureau of Land Management and then the U.S. Geological Survey and contrasted her experiences in agencies to those on Capitol Hill, describing work in federal agencies as collaborative and team-oriented. In 2017 she moved to the Fish and Wildlife service as one of nearly 50 Senior Executive Service employees across the Department of the Interior who were reassigned under the Donald Trump administration. Wainman closes the interview by reflecting on her career, crediting Regula as a significant influence, providing her with a moral compass and shaping her leadership approach.