61-year-old Former Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao has been the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, since 1993. Her husband now, 72, stands to achieve his dream of becoming majority leader. But first he must defeat a Democratic upstart half his age.
Her husband has been the Senate Republican Leader since 2006, he is the 15th Senate Republican Leader and only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the Senate; he is also one of the wealthiest members of Congress, but it all comes down to Elaine; let’s find our more about her.
When the couple tied the knot in 1993, Her hubby was previously married to Sherrill Redmon with whom he fathered three daughters. His first marriage ended in divorce.
Elaine became the first Asian American to serve in a cabinet-level position when George W. Bush appointed her Secretary of Labor in 2001, position she held until 2009. She is also the former President and CEO of United Way of America, and former Peace Corps Director.
Born in Taiwan, Elaine L. Chao grew up in the U.S. and received an M.B.A. from Harvard University. She was the first Asian American woman to be appointed to a cabinet-level position.
Elaine who was born March 26, 1953, in Taipei, Taiwan; arrived in the U.S without knowing a word of English when she was just an eight-year-old kid. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1975 and a master’s of business administration from Harvard University in 1979; she worked in the financial sector but by late 80’s she got involved in public affairs. Her first gig was as the deputy maritime administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.
In 1991 she was selected to serve as head of the Peace Corps. The following year Chao became the president and chief executive officer of the United Way of America. She is known for restructuring the organization that came from a financial mismanagement, but she cut staff to rein in its finances and re-gain the public’s trust.
In 1996 Chao joined the Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy research institution, as a distinguished fellow. In 2001, on her ground braking role, she worked to improve overtime regulations for millions of workers as well as update regulations related to workers’ unions disclosure of financial information.
On a number of interviews, she has stated
“There is no one formula for success, this is a country where you can pursue your interests and if you really believe in what you are doing, most of the time, you will succeed if you’re disciplined, and you keep going”
Giving her dedication and passion for her work, it was only a matter of time for her to wind-up with someone with the same background. She found it with Mitch, a divorced father of three but most importantly, a republican.
As his wife she has been a great support for him in every sense. According to an article from the Washington Post , after her mother died in 2007 she received an inheritance. Which quadrupled her hubby’s net worth.
Where is the catch? Elaine’s father, James S.C. Chao, is the founder of Foremost Maritime Corporation which developed trade with Taiwan and was a major agent for shipments of rice during the Vietnam War. Today, Foremost Group still is a major shipping company. As an example of the firm’s success, a Chao family foundation donated $40 million to Harvard Business School in 2012, which Chao and three of her sisters attended.
According to her page , it not a surprise, her distinguished career has earned her innumerable awards for her public and community service, she is the recipient of 34 honorary doctorate degrees from colleges across the globe. A popular speaker, Secretary Chao is currently a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, an educational and research institute in Washington, D.C. where she works on jobs, employment, and U. S. competitiveness issues. She serves on a number of corporate and nonprofit boards.
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