Elaine Chao

Born in Taipei Taiwan, Elaine Chao served from 2001 to 2009 as the U.S. Secretary of Labor, becoming the first Asian-American woman to be appointed to a presidential cabinet. During her tenure Chao worked on improving the competitiveness of the U.S. workforce overseeing record gains in the protection of health safety wages and retirement security. She also served as president of United Way and director of the Peace Corps. She is currently chair of the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Foundation. Updated 2010