President-Elect Barack Obama has selected Louis Caldera, a tenured professor with the University of New Mexico School of Law and former UNM president, to head the White House Military Office. The Director of the White House Military Office is responsible for the various White House military operations. This includes Marine One, Air Force One, Camp David, and all overseas presidential visits. Caldera will replace President Bush’s current director, Rear Admiral Raymond Spicer, USN.
Photo: Louis Caldera
“Louis has served his country with distinction in uniform and in government, and his pedigree is second-to-none. I know he’ll bring to the White House the same dedication and integrity that have earned him the highest praise in every post, from Secretary of the Army to university president,” Obama said in a press release.
Caldera has been on a leave of absence from UNM since early November to serve with the Department of Defense Agency Review Team for President-Elect Obama’s White House transition team.
“We congratulate Professor Caldera on his appointment and thank him for his service to the law school,” UNM School of Law Dean Leo Romero said.
Caldera graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an officer in the U.S. Army. He received degrees in law and business from Harvard University in 1987 before practicing in Los Angeles. His expertise is in the areas of corporate, banking and public finance law.
Caldera has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards and commissions. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of Claremont McKenna College, the National World War II Museum, and serves a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has also served as a vice chancellor for the California State University System.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu