Rudy Fernandez joined the University as Vice President of Government Affairs in February 2007. He serves as the principal liaison between the University and federal, state, and local government offices and legislative bodies. Before joining UM, he was Special Assistant to President George W. Bush in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Prior to joining the White House, Rudy served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He also served as the Southwest Regional Political Director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign, Director of Grassroots Development and Press Secretary for the Republican National Committee, and Press Secretary for Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He has a bachelor’s degree in Government from Harvard University and is currently completing his master’s in Business Administration at the University of Miami.