Touching on accessibility and affordability of higher education, Arizona Board of Regents member Ernest Calderón reflects on his goals as immediate past president of the board in an online interview for the Truman Scholars Association.
Calderón, a Northern Arizona University alumnus, was selected to be Arizona’s first Harry S. Truman Scholar in 1977. The association recognizes and provides financial support to college juniors with “exceptional leadership potential” who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in public service.
Calderón served as president of the Associated Students of NAU in 1978-79 and is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law. He is a former president of the State Bar of Arizona, former chairman of the Catholic Community Foundation, past Valley Leadership (metropolitan Phoenix) Man of the Year and in 2004 was appointed by former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to the Arizona Board of Regents, serving as its president from July 2009-10.
The online interview is part of a series that celebrates the accomplishments of Truman Scholars who have established themselves in public service. In the piece, Calderón also offers his thoughts on the importance of public service and education, and he reflects on SB1070.