Elaine Chao is the current United States Secretary of Labor, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017. She is the first Asian American woman to be appointed to a President's Cabinet in U.S. history. Chao previously served as the 24th United States Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. She is also the first Chinese American woman to serve in a President's Cabinet. Her four-letter surname, 'Chao, ' is the answer to the crossword puzzle clue.