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Institutional
Affiliations
United Way, America: President and CEO (1992-1996) (1)
Heritage Foundation: Former distinguished fellow (1)
Heritage Foundation: White House fellow (1983) (1)
Government
Posts/Panels/Commissions
Labor Department: Secretary of Labor (current) (1)
Peace Corps: Director (1991-1992) (1)
Department of Transportation: Deputy Secretary (1989-1991) (1
Department of Transportation: Deputy Maritime Administrator (1)
Reagan Administration: White House fellow (1983) (1)
Corporate
Connections/Business Interests
Bank America Capital Markets Group: Former vice president of syndications (1)
Citicorp: Former banker (1)
Education
Mount Holyoke College: Baccalaureate in Economics (1)
Harvard Business School: MBA (1)
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Highlights
& Quotes
Before taking over as labor secretary, Elaine Chao was a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation. During her tenure at Heritage, Chao reportedly pushed the conservative organization to view China as a prime economic prospect rather than a threatening U.S. competitor. In a 2000 article for the New Republic titled "Sullied Heritage: The Decline of Principled Conservative Hostility to China," John Judis documented how this change in perspective coincided with an expansion of James Chao's--Elaine's father--shipbuilding business with the red menace. Judis also contended that Elaine Chao pushed out former Reagan official and Heritage scholar Richard V. Allen as part of an effort to transform the think tank's perspective. Judis claimed that the Heritage metamorphosis was symptomatic of the right wing in general, arguing, "Over the last few years, as Beijing has opened itself to trade and investment, the corporate interests that populate the conservative movement have moved to take over its policy toward China. The moral fire that animated the conservative movement for close to 50 years shows signs of extinguishing itself." (2)
Commenting on this and other cases where private cash seemed to be influencing the way think tanks view "threats" like China, Michael Rust of the conservative Insight on the News wrote, "Osama bin Laden dipped into his huge fortune to recruit, train and transport suicide bombers into the heart of American power. Maybe he should just have used the money to start a Washington think tank instead." (2)
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