Join us for this year’s Benjamin F. Marsh Lecture on Public Affairs on Feb. 6 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. This year’s speaker is Nicholas E. Calio ’75.
Calio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airlines for America, has led Washington, D.C.-based trade association for the country’s leading passenger and cargo airlines since 2011. A4A advocates for America’s airlines as models of safety, customer service and environmental responsibility, and the indispensable network that drives nearly $1.5 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 11 million jobs. Known for his ability to build consensus, Calio has focused the association on working with airlines, manufacturers, labor unions and the government to promote a healthy industry.
Prior to joining A4A, Calio served as Citigroup’s Executive Vice President for Global Government Affairs and a member of its Senior Leadership Committee, responsible for the company’s relationships with governments globally.
Before Citigroup, Calio served President George W. Bush as Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. As the president’s principal liaison to Congress, Calio worked closely with the leadership and members of the U.S. Congress, and had primary responsibility for formulating and implementing White House strategy on all legislative issues. He held the same position during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. In these positions, Calio established a reputation for working with both Republicans and Democrats.
In between the Bush administrations, he co-founded O’Brien-Calio, a law and lobbying firm rated by a Fortune Magazine survey as “one of the 10 most powerful” in Washington.
At Ohio Wesleyan, Calio majored in English and served as president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After earning his bachelors degree, he went on to earn his law degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland. He is married to Lydia Keller Calio ’77.
Calio has remained connected to Ohio Wesleyan since his graduation and today serves as Vice Chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees.
OWU Sponsoring Organization/Office: Politics and Government.
Contact: Pam Laucher at pllauche@owu.edu.