Secretary Chao's early career as a young banker and subsequent public service as a White House Fellow, Deputy Maritime Administrator, Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Secretary Chao’s leadership has benefitted people both in the United States and across the globe. As President & CEO of United Way of America, she restored public trust to an organization after its biggest crisis. As Peace Corps Director, she launched new programs in the Baltic nations and former Soviet Union.
As the first Secretary of Labor in the 21st Century, Secretary Chao focused on increasing the competitiveness of America’s workforce in a worldwide economy by updating outdated departmental rules and regulations and training programs to empower workers. Under her tenure, the Department achieved record results in worker health and safety, compensation and retirement security.
As U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao focused on safety, infrastructure, and building the transportation system of the future by engaging with new technologies to address legitimate public concerns about safety, security and privacy without hampering innovation.
Secretary Elaine Chao has been confirmed on strong bipartisan votes to two presidential cabinet posts: U. S. Secretary of Labor and U. S. Secretary of Transportation, the first Asian Pacific American woman to be appointed to the President’s cabinet in America history and the longest serving cabinet secretary post World War II.