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Chao Confirmed As Labor Secretary

Jan. 30, 2001

Yesterday, the Senate approved Elaine Chao, former\r\nhead of United Way, as labor secretary.

It''s official. Yesterday, the Senate approved Elaine Chao, former head of United Way, as labor secretary.

Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., went to the floor Monday afternoon and asked that the nomination be approved by voice vote.

There was no apprehension during the vote or during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where she had been warmly welcomed.

She was questioned about OSHA''s ergonomics standard during that hearing but made no commitments on the rule.

Labor unions have also been supportive of President Bush''s second pick for labor secretary following the controversy over his first nominee, Linda Chavez.

Chavez withdrew her name after it was disclosed that she had given money and shelter to an illegal immigrant who once did chores around Chavez''s house.

A native of Taiwan, Chao has served as former Peace Corps director and deputy secretary of transportation in the administration of former President Bush.

More recently, she has been a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

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Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.