John P. Walters



John P. Walters was sworn in as the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on December 7 2001. As the nation's "Drug Czar," Mr. Walters coordinates all aspects of federal drug programs and spending.

In July 2007, Walters called growers of marijuana "violent criminal terrorists."

Background
From 1989 to 1991, Mr. Walters was chief of staff for William Bennett and was Deputy Director for Supply Reduction from 1991 until leaving the office in 1993.

During the Reagan Administration, he served as Assistant to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. He was also the Secretary's representative to the National Drug Policy Board and the Domestic Policy Council's Health Policy Working Group.



Walters served as Acting Assistant Director and Program Officer in the Division of Education Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1982 to 1985. He has previously taught political science at Michigan State University's James Madison College and at Boston College. From 1996 until 2001 he served as president of the Philanthropy Roundtable.

He holds a BA from Michigan State University and an MA from the University of Toronto.