Elaine Chao

Secretary Chao is the first Asian-Pacific American woman to serve in the President’s cabinet in American history. She has been confirmed to two cabinet positions by the US Senate on a strong bipartisan basis: US Secretary of Labor and US Secretary of Transportation. She is also the longest-serving cabinet secretary since World War II.

At the US Department of Transportation, Chao focused on keeping America’s transportation system safe and efficient; invested over $300 billion in infrastructure over three and a half years; and engaged with new technologies including autonomous vehicles, drones, and commercial space launches to build the transportation system of the future.

As US Secretary of Labor, Chao focused on increasing the competitiveness of the American workforce in a global economy. She set new records for workplace safety and health and ensured the retirement security of 44 million retirees by spearheading passage of the most significant pension reform legislation in 30 years, the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

Previously, Chao was president and CEO of United Way, where she restored public trust by reforming the governance structure and instilling a new culture of accountability and transparency after the organization had been tarnished by previous financial mismanagement and abuse.

She also served as director of the Peace Corps, launching programs in the newly liberated states of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine. She began her public service working on transportation and trade issues at the White House as a White House Fellow.

Born in Taiwan, Chao immigrated to America at the age of 8, not speaking English, and received her citizenship at age 19. She earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College and her MBA from Harvard Business School.