U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao to Deliver Keynote at CES 2020
December 11, 2019 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® announced U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao will deliver a keynote address at the upcoming CES® 2020, the world’s largest and most influential tech event. Secretary Chao is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 11:30 AM in the Las Vegas Convention Center room N257 in Las Vegas, NV.
“As the highest-ranking U.S. transportation official, Secretary Chao is driving the Administration’s initiatives to safely advance the transportation industry through tech innovation,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “We welcome Secretary Chao back to the CES keynote stage and look forward to hearing the DOT’s latest initiatives that will provide a roadmap for the industry—in the U.S. and abroad—and help to further improve public safety.”Secretary Chao returns as a CES keynoter, following a keynote address during CES 2018. She will discuss the current state of innovation and recent DOT initiatives to support the safe integration of new technologies into our country’s transportation systems. The vehicle tech section at CES is larger than many stand-alone car shows, with more than 160 vehicle tech exhibitors – including 10 major automakers. CES 2020 will also showcase the latest in drones, self-driving vehicles, smart cities, resilience technologies and more.
Secretary Chao served as U.S. Department of Labor Secretary from 2001–2009. She is the first Asian-American woman to be appointed to the President’s Cabinet in American history. Secretary Chao previously served as Deputy Secretary of Transportation; President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of America; and Director of the Peace Corps.
Secretary Chao joins other confirmed CES keynote speakers, including NBCUniversal’s Linda Yaccarino; Daimler’s Ola Källenius; Delta Air Lines’ Ed Bastian; Samsung’s Hyun-Suk Kim; and Quibi’s Meg Whitman and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
The CES Keynote Schedule will be updated regularly as additional keynote speakers are announced. More than 1,100 visionaries and thought leaders are expected to speak and share insights on premiere technologies at CES 2020. Visit the CES Featured Speakers page to see the latest.
Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2020, the global stage for innovation, will run Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada and provide access to the most transformative tech across various marketplaces, such as 5G, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, smart home, smart cities, vehicles, digital health and more. Industry leaders and rising stars will come together to pioneer future innovation driving the ever-evolving tech industry. Visit CES.tech for all CES updates and register for CES 2020.
Subscribe
Stay ahead of the technologies shaping the future of electronics with our latest newsletter, Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest. Get expert insights on advanced packaging, materials, and system-level innovation, delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe now to stay informed, competitive, and connected.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
Meet Emerging Engineers: Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker, Summit Interconnect
05/05/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker both work for Summit Interconnect, and are in their second year of the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer Program with mentor Brian Chislea. They stopped by the I-Connect007 booth at APEX EXPO and shared a bit of their story with me. Patrick has worked at the Hollister, California, plant since 2018, while Eric has been at the Chicago site since 2023. Like many of their peers, they came to the electronics industry from different paths, but are both excited about making an impact.
PCBAA, AAM Take on the Fight to Rebuild U.S. Manufacturing in New Documentary
05/05/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Throughout most of the 20th century, manufacturing was central to the American Dream of providing stable jobs and pathways to upward mobility. Today, more than 80% of global electronics manufacturing capacity resides in China and greater Asia, raising serious concerns about supply chain resilience and national security.