David Iglesias Named Director of the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy at Wheaton College

David C. Iglesias was recently appointed to the Wheaton College faculty as Director of the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy and to The Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Endowed Chair of Political Economy as Associate Professor of Politics and Law.

Iglesias is a 1980 graduate of Wheaton College, where he completed a B.A. in history. He also earned a J.D. from The University of New Mexico School of Law.

Iglesias, a retired captain in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, has served as a state, federal and military prosecutor with a focus on national security and terrorism cases. His military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Award.

Iglesias served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico between 2001 and 2007. In 2008, he was recalled to active duty Navy status in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He served as team leader, senior prosecutor and spokesman with the Office of Military Commissions, Washington, D.C., where he prosecuted Guantanamo Bay, Cuba war crimes and terrorism cases.

Since 1998, Mr. Iglesias has taught foreign military, intelligence, Ministry of Defense and law enforcement personnel about border security, counterterrorism and rule of law issues on behalf of the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, the Joint Special Operations University and the Justice Department. Iglesias edited and compiled the Special Operations Forces Commander's Operational Law Handbook (Joint Special Operations University, 2001) and co-authored In Justice: Inside the Scandal That Rocked the Bush Administration (Wiley, 2008).

“David Iglesias’ great strengths are his understanding of the political and public policy world, his deep knowledge of the military, his connections in the political establishment and his networking skills,” says Wheaton College Provost Dr. Stanton Jones. “His profile as a person of integrity in the world of government is a huge asset to Wheaton College.”

“After serving in local, state, and federal governments and in the military since graduating from Wheaton, I view the opportunity to teach Wheaton students as the capstone of my career,” Iglesias says. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy. Because most of my 30 years of public service have been in law enforcement or the military, I look forward to sharing my experiences with students who are considering these paths as possible careers, and to helping students understand the relationship between legislation and the economy.”

The J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy exists to advance the training of Wheaton College students and the greater community in the understanding of market economies, representative democracies, limited government, and the redeeming effects of the Christian worldview on the practice of business, government and politics. Learn more at wheaton.edu/hastertcenter.