Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Elaine L. Chao is a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, concentrating on international policy, labor, nonprofit and philanthropy issues. An immigrant to this country who arrived at the age of eight, Chao was the 24th U. S. Secretary of Labor and served from 2001-2009.  She was the longest serving Secretary of Labor since World War II and the first woman of Asian descent to be appointed to a Cabinet position in our nation's history. 

As the first Secretary of Labor in the 21st Century, Chao was focused on increasing the competitiveness of America's workforce and updating department regulations to better reflect the realities of the 21st century worldwide economy. Among her many accomplishments during her tenure as Labor Secretary, was the updating of the white collar overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which had been on the agenda of every administration since 1977. The department achieved new worker protection enforcement records, including the record low rates of fatalities, injuries and illnesses; record back wages recoveries for workers; and record monetary recoveries for workers' pension plans. The Department also achieved the first major update of union financial disclosure regulations for the benefit of rank and file workers in more than 40 years.  In addition, Chao presided over the first major regulatory update of the Family and Medical Leave Act in more than a decade.

Chao's career has spanned the public, private and non-profit sectors. Prior to being appointed Secretary, Chao was with the Heritage Foundation from 1996 to 2001. Previously, she was President and CEO of United Way of America where she restored public trust and confidence in America's premier charity after allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse. She was also Director of the Peace Corps where she established the first Peace Corps programs in the Baltic nations and the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.  Chao's previous government service also included Deputy Secretary of Transportation, chair of the Federal Maritime Commission.

She received her MBA from the Harvard Business School and bachelor's degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College. She is the recipient of 31 honorary doctoral degrees. She is married to the United States Senate Republican Leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.