A former presidential aide and cabinet secretary will speak at the fifth annual Methamphetamine and Substance Abuse Conference in Casper, a Wyoming Department of Health official announced Thursday.

Joseph A. Califano Jr. is president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and thought of as one of the brightest thinkers in the country on drug issues, said Wyoming Department of Health Deputy Director Rodger McDaniel.

"To have him come to Wyoming and share with us is a real opportunity," McDaniel said.

The conference will be held from Jan. 9-11 at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Centre. Hosted by the Casper Area Meth Watch Committee and the Casper Police Department, it will feature speakers from across Wyoming and the nation.

McDaniel said he managed to attract Califano the old fashioned way: by writing him a letter, asking him to see firsthand how Wyoming is dealing with substance abuse.

"I'd like to tell you I have more persuasive powers, but it was just a letter," McDaniel said.

Califano served as President Lyndon B. Johnson's top domestic aide and later became Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in 1977. In 1992, he founded the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Califano will arrive in Cheyenne on Jan. 9 for a town hall meeting and a reception hosted by Gov. Dave Freudenthal. He'll fly to Casper the next day for the conference.

"It's exciting that he is here," said Casper police Chief Tom Pagel. "It's a real positive reinforcement."

Reach Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.