Neal McCaleb, who served as assistant secretary, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, from July 2001 until November 2002, was a strong advocate for tribal economic development during his tenure in office.

Since leaving interior, McCaleb has worked as an economic development consultant for the Chickasaw Nation.

Mr. McCaleb served eight years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and was elected minority floor leader in 1978.

He served as a presidential appointee on Ronald Reagan's Commission on Indian Reservation Economies in the 1980s.

As Oklahoma's secretary of transportation, McCaleb oversaw the construction and maintenance of the state's transportation systems. He was the first to serve as director of both the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, in addition to being secretary of transportation.

A 1957 graduate of Oklahoma A&M University, he is a licensed professional engineer with more than 40 years experience in designing and supervising the construction of roads, bridges, public facilities and architectural structures.