Secretary Chao in 2001 became the first American woman of Asian descent to become a Cabinet official when President George W. Bush appointed her Secretary of Labor.

Secretary Chao was the only member of President Bush’s original cabinet to have served the entire eight years of his Administration, a testament to her extraordinary competence and deep commitment to public service.

As President and CEO of United Way of America, she restored public trust and confidence in one of our nation’s premier charitable institutions after it had been tarnished by financial mismanagement and abuse.

As Director of the Peace Corps, she established the first programs in the newly liberated Baltic nations and the independent states of the former Soviet Union.

Secretary Chao’s government service also includes serving as Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, Deputy Maritime Administrator, and White House Fellow.

Prior to her government service, she was Vice President of Syndications at BankAmerica Capital Markets Group and a banker with Citicorp in New York.

Secretary Chao earned her MBA from the Harvard Business School and an economics degree from Mount Holyoke College. She is also the recipient of 36 honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities across the globe.