Elaine Chao is an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. She was the first Asian American woman to be appointed to a President's Cabinet in U.S. history. Prior to her appointment, she held positions in both the public and private sectors, including Deputy Secretary of Transportation and Director of the Peace Corps. Her four-letter surname, Chao, is also her given name.