Wendy Chun-Hoon

Wendy Chun-Hoon is president and executive director for the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) To this role, she brings decades of experience across the public, advocacy, and philanthropic sectors, with a proven record of centering workers’ lived experiences in policy development and spearheading transformative reform in care policy, workforce development, and family economic security. Throughout her career, Ms. Chun-Hoon has focused on advancing equitable labor and economic policies, particularly by elevating the voices of women, LGBTQ people, and communities that have been historically marginalized. She is widely respected for her strategic advocacy, coalition-building, and leadership of complex, cross-sector initiatives that deliver lasting impact.

When Ms. Chun-Hoon was named to lead CLASP, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su said, “Wendy is that rare person who combines great vision with concrete strategies and the ability to inspire bold action. I saw this firsthand while working alongside her at the Department of Labor to invest in Black women-led organizations, advance research on child care and pay inequity, and expand economic security for women nationwide.”

Appointed by President Biden, Ffrom 2021 to 2024, Ms. Chun-Hoon led the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor. In this role, she advanced women’s labor force participation and economic security by aligning DOL priority efforts with the White House’s Gender Equity Action Plan; she also led the drafting and DOL implementation of the federal government’s first-ever National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and Harassment. She helped secure gender equity commitments from mayors across the country through their participation in DOL’s Good Jobs Principles. Chun-Hoon rebuilt the Bureau’s national and regional staffing and influence, increasing the Bureau’s annual budget by 27 percent and expanding its grantmaking. She also provided essential technical assistance and resources to national and state advocates for gender equity and Commissions for Women nationwide.

Previously, Ms. Chun-Hoon served as executive director of Family Values @ Work, where she led a national network of grassroots coalitions in 27 states advocating for care policies and workplace rights such as paid leave and child care. Under her leadership, the organization expanded rights for more than 55 million workers and their families by supporting the passage of over 60 new laws across the country. She provided strategic guidance that advanced Maryland’s successful paid family medical leave and paid sick days campaigns, and helped launch the national Paid Leave for All campaign. She also co-founded the Family Justice Network, building cross-movement organizing among paid leave advocates, communities of color, reproductive and disability justice organizations, LGBTQ advocates, and organized labor, making inclusive family recognition a defining feature of the paid leave movement.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Chun-Hoon worked in philanthropy, including the Maryland-based and -serving Annie E. Casey Foundation. She began her public service career at the Maryland Department of Human Services, where she served as chief of staff to Secretary Brenda Donald during the first O’Malley Administration, helping to advance the administration’s signature child welfare reform agenda, Place Matters, and other policies supporting low-income families and workers.

Ms. Chun-Hoon currently serves on the boards of the Coalition on Human Needs and Family Values @ Work Action. She holds graduate degrees in Public Affairs and in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University, and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Vassar College.