ChargePoint Holdings Inc. has named Elaine Chao, former secretary of both the U.S. transportation and labor departments, to its board as the electric vehicle charging industry gears up for explosive growth.
Chao will bring government experience and connections at a time when the federal government, under the infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden last month, plans to spend $7.5 billion on EV charging. Chao — who has had an extensive career across government, finance and non-profit organizations — is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and both of her cabinet appointments won bi-partisan support.
“Her policy and transportation experience helps strengthen our diverse board of technology, mobility and energy expertise,” ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano said in a statement on Thursday.
The Transportation Department’s watchdog concluded last year that Chao, when leading the department, may have violated ethics rules by trying to include members of her family, who run a shipping line, in an official government trip. The Justice Department declined to pursue the case.