Chiling Tong

Chief Executive Officer & President
National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Chiling Tong brings extensive domestic and international experience in economic and business development, with a strong focus on advancing the growth, competitiveness, and long-term success of minority-owned small businesses. She currently serves as President and CEO of the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE), representing the interests of 3 million Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and all small business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. Under her leadership, National ACE collaborates with more than 130 affiliate chambers and partner organizations to advocate for small businesses, strengthen organizational capacity, and cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Tong is also the Founding President of the International Leadership Foundation (ILF), a nonprofit organization established in 2000 to promote civic engagement, public service, and leadership development among college students and young professionals. Earlier in her federal service, she held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Commerce, including Deputy Assistant Secretary at the International Trade Administration and Chief of Staff at the Minority Business Development Agency. She was appointed to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and later selected as Co-Chair of the national commission to study the potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.

Tong was an Ash Center Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. Her public service career also includes advancing California’s global trade and economic development initiatives as Director of California’s Office of Trade and Investment in Taipei, Taiwan, and as Assistant Secretary for International Trade at the California Trade and Commerce Agency. She additionally served as Chief Asian American Affairs Advisor in the California State Senate Minority Leader’s Office. She is a recipient of the Coro Public Affairs Fellowship and previously served as Chairperson of the Los Angeles County Community Action Board.

Her husband, Joel Szabat, currently serves as Vice Chair of the Amtrak Board of Directors.