Chantale Wong, a queer AAPI woman, makes history with Ambassador-level nomination

CHANTALE WONG

President Biden nominated Chantale Wong, for United States Director of the Asian Development Bank  If confirmed to the Senate, Wong would be the first out, queer woman and first LGBTQ+ person of color to serve in an ambassador-level role.

Chantale Yokmin Wong is a leading authority in international development policy with over 30 years of experience in the multi-disciplinary field that includes finance, technology, and the environment, says the White House. 

“Chantale moved the bar as the first out lesbian and first out LGBTQ person of color nominated at an ambassador level, yet this important moment is about more than making history,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute. “Chantale will represent the most powerful nation in the Asian Development Bank at a time when many of its member states criminalize LGBTQ people and deny them the right to marry. Her presence and leadership can change perceptions of LGBTQ people among representatives from other nations – potentially inching countries toward more acceptance of LGBTQ citizens."

Wong was appointed by President Obama to serve as Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer at the Millennium Challenge Corporation where she led change in financial, human capital, and information technology management. 

 She was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the Board of Directors at the Asian Development Bank, representing the United States as the Alternate Executive Director, and overseeing policies and operations. She has held senior career appointments in the Office of Management and Budget, Treasury, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Among her personal passions are photography and videography, with which she has chronicled the annual Congressional Civil Rights pilgrimages in Alabama with the late Congressman John Lewis. On her Facebook account, Wong also acknowledged  Lewis, who she said illustrated to her the importance of “making good trouble” but even more so “necessary trouble.”

 In  the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, Wong is known for establishing the Conference on APA Leadership, where she has guided young AAPIs for 32 years to seek careers in public service. 

She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Master’s in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Her undergraduate degree is in Civil and Structural Engineering from the University of Hawaii.

A former resident of Guam, Wong’s nomination was met with excitement by Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio.

“We are proud that President Biden recognizes the talent and abilities of our Guam residents,” they said in a joint statement on July 6. “Her nomination and federal service show our young girls that they too can lead successful careers in the federal government and in male-dominated fields, such as finance and technology.”