By Fiona Benson Kollie
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, on Tuesday received as a guest Elias Gerasoulis, Chief Executive Officer of Washington & Madison, LLC.
Washington & Madison, a United States–based consultancy firm, has meanwhile, extended an invitation to members of the Legislature to participate in a legislative training program to be held in the United States from August 30 to September 6, 2026. Ahead of the scheduled training, Mr. Gerasoulis paid a courtesy visit to Koon and also observed Plenary session proceedings.
Gerasoulis expressed appreciation for the warm reception Speaker Koon accorded him, and members of the House.
He also thanked the Legislature for the opportunity to engage and to witness its legislative processes firsthand, and expressed optimism for a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with the Legislature.
The proposed training program is designed to strengthen the capacity of lawmakers through exposure to best practices in governance; lawmaking; committee operations; legislative oversight, and constituent engagement.
The planned activities included interactive workshops, policy discussions, and study visits to U.S. legislative institutions and governance organizations.
Washington & Madison highlighted its extensive experience working with international clients, particularly across Africa, and conveyed its readiness to collaborate closely with the Legislature on participants’ selection, program content, and logistical arrangements.
The firm further noted that the training is structured to promote institutional development; transparency; accountability; effective representation, and consistent with international democratic standards.
In response, Speaker Koon welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed the Legislature’s commitment to the partnership.
He also named a number of lawmakers to work alongside the Washington & Madison team to advance preparations, and ensure the successful implementation of the pending legislative training program.
The House of Representatives views the initiative as a significant step toward enhancing legislative capacity and strengthening democratic governance in Liberia.