FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Holly Chang, Executive Director
media@committee100.org or 212-371-6565
The Committee of 100 Commends President-Elect Donald Trump and Congratulates Elaine Chao on Nomination as U.S. Secretary of Transportation
(New York, NY, November 30, 2016) — The Committee of 100 (C100) commends President-Elect Donald Trump and congratulates Elaine Chao on her nomination as the next United States Secretary of Transportation.
Chao is the first Asian American woman to be appointed to a Presidential Cabinet in American history. From 2001-2009, she served as President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Labor. Upon confirmation as Secretary of Transportation, Chao will also be the first Asian American female to be selected to top-level cabinet positions under two different American Presidents.
Chao has the distinction of being the longest serving U.S. Secretary of Labor since World War II, and the only official to have served during the entire tenure of President George W. Bush’s administration.
As Secretary of Transportation, Chao’s impressive expertise, nuanced grasp of policy, and extensive experience in government, will be invaluable in implementing the Trump administration’s priorities to develop America’s infrastructure, rejuvenate its transportation system, and create jobs.
C100 member Linda Tsao Yang, former Ambassador to The Asian Development Bank notes, “Elaine Chao is well qualified for the appointment as Transportation Secretary. She is an experienced former banker, with finance being a key determinate in infrastructure investment…she is well-versed in working with Congress.” C100 Chairman Frank H. Wu, concurred, “We are proud to see excellent Chinese Americans like Elaine Chao take on leadership roles and serve the country.”
C100 regards Chao’s appointment as a highly positive signal of the incoming Trump administration’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Chao has long been an inspirational figure in the Asian American community and serves as an exemplar of a distinguished American public servant.
The Committee of 100 enthusiastically supports Elaine Chao’s nomination. As an organization committed to the full inclusion and equal protection of Chinese Americans in the U.S., the Committee of 100 encourages the full participation of Asian Americans and Chinese Americans across all sectors, especially in public service and civic engagement. Many C100 members themselves have dedicated their careers to public service, including former general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security Ivan Fong, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Robert Gee, former Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission Ming Chen Hsu, Senior Counselor to the White House National Economic Council Ginger Lew, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce and current Maryland Deputy Secretary of Commerce Benjamin Wu, and former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Debra Wong Yang.
The Committee of 100 is an international non-partisan leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, entertainment, and the arts. For over 25 years, the Committee has been committed to a dual mission of promoting the full participation and inclusion of Chinese Americans in all fields of American life, and encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. www.committee100.org.
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