Eva
Caldera, Associate Secretary
Eva Orlebeke Caldera is the Associate Secretary/Chief Operating Officer of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and has acted in this capacity since 2017. As Associate Secretary, Caldera provides direct oversight to the central dimensions of the Society's operations and supports the work of the secretary to advance the mission of the society.
Caldera is originally from Winnetka, Illinois, but her career has taken her across the country and back. She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Harvard College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors, then earned a JD degree with Honors from Harvard Law School. She practiced law in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, then went on to become a Research Professor of Law at the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she combined teaching, research, and practice as medical ethics coordinator for the university hospital and medical school.
Immediately before joining ΦBK, she served as Assistant Chairman for Partnership and Strategic Initiatives at the National Endowment for the Humanities, where she was a core member of the senior leadership team, working in such areas as programs, budgeting, communications, and strategic planning. She oversaw a number of signature NEH initiatives promoting the public humanities, including Bridging Cultures and The Common Good: Humanities in the Public Square.