March 19, 2026
New York Marriott Downtown
85 West Street, New York City
After having just heard Admiral Alfultis recount Dr Chao’s impressive list of lifetime accomplishments, I think Dr Chao would readily agree that his crowning life achievement was raising a family of achievers who have contributed to the betterment of their adopted country.
Probably none of Dr and Mrs Chao’s family exemplifies this better than their eldest daughter- the Honorable Elaine L Chao.
Secretary Chao’s remarkable record of achievement is well-known to this audience: Deputy Maritime Administrator, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission Deputy Secretary of Transportation , Director of the Peace Corps, President of the United Way, the first Asian American Cabinet officer in history while serving as Secretary of Labor, and most recently as Secretary of Transportation – the only woman to serve twice as a Cabinet officer.
I was fortunate enough to be selected to serve as Secretary Chao’s Maritime Administrator, and it is from that perspective I’d like to highlight two hugely significant impacts she had – among many – on the maritime industry that offer us a real insight to who she really is.
The first is building the National Maritime Security Vessel – the new school ships that were funded and ordered on her watch. I can remember well the call she made to me very late one afternoon telling me that she was putting the entire $300 million the department has just received as a budget distribution from OMB into building new school ships – and I needed to get busy! These government ships would be built in a revolutionary way, with a commercial Vessel Construction Manager contracting with a US shipyard and overseeing all aspects of construction and initial operation: on time, on budget, and to the agreed mature design.
Tonight, three of the five ships have been delivered, and the final two are under construction thanks to the great work of Tote Services and Hanwha Philadelphia shipyard. We are able to train future mariners on the most advanced training ships in the world.
While all that is impressive on its own, the most significant aspect is that the success of Secretary Chao’s Vessel Construction Manager model has been noted and adopted by the US Navy to build the entire class of Medium Landing Ships – a remarkable sea change!
Her even more significant impact to our industry and national security – in my opinion – started with a call she made to me early one morning in 2017 on the day after the tragic collision between the destroyer USS JOHN S. McCAIN and a commercial tanker in the Singapore Straits. Just three months prior, USS FITZGERALD had been involved in another collision with a merchant vessel. A total of 17 lives lost. She asked me “How could this happen?” but more importantly: “How can we help?”
Her charge to me that day resulted in the close collaboration between MARAD, the Navy and the US Merchant Marine Academy, Maryland Pilots, several of the maritime unions, and the US Coast Guard to adopt international standards for Naval officers in charge of a navigation watch – the first time in our Navy’s history. This has vastly improved the competence of warship watch standers and NO DOUBT saved lives.
Ladies and gentlemen, few of us have the opportunity to have such an impact and leave such a legacy in our wake.
Elaine Chao is one of those very unique individuals and richly deserving of this special recognition tonight.
