Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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Secretary Elaine Chao is an inspiring and consequential leader who has been appointed to two Presidential cabinet positions: the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the U.S. Secretary of Labor. When she was unanimously confirmed to her first cabinet post as Secretary of Labor, she became the first woman of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage to serve in the President’s cabinet in history.

She arrived in the United States in third grade, not knowing how to speak English, and received her citizenship at the age of 19. Her experience transitioning to a new country motivated her to ensure that everyone has access to the opportunities in our country.

Before being U.S,. Secretary of Labor, Secretary Chao was President and CEO of United Way of America, where she restored public trust and confidence in an organization tarnished by controversy and scandal. She was also Director of the Peace Corps, where she launched the first Peace Corps programs in the newly independent Baltic states, Ukraine and the former republics of the former Soviet Union. Secretary Chao began her public service as a White House Fellow. She then served as Deputy Maritime Administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, and Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation. She had also worked as a banker in the private sector.

Secretary Chao earned her master of business administration from Harvard Business School and has received 38 honorary degrees. She is a resident of Kentucky and is married to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Visit the McConnell Chao Archives, located on the lower level of Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville, to learn more about Secretary Chao.