1. Aldona Zofia Wos DeJoy was born on March 26,1955 and is a Polish-American former physician and Republican politician who served in various positions at several government agencies under Presidents George W Bush and Donald Trump and nonprofit organizations.
Aldona Wos was the United States Ambassador to Estonia from 2004 until early December 2006, the fifth since the country regained its independence in 1991.
From 2017 to 2021, Wos served as vice-chairwoman of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships, which is tasked with reviewing candidates for White House fellowships.
Aldona Wos is married to former USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
Aldona Wos's father was part of the Home Army during the German and Soviet occupation of Poland in World War II.
Aldona Wos was born in 1955 in Warsaw, where she lived until the age of six, when her family moved to Long Island, New York.
Aldona Wos earned a medical degree from Medical University of Warsaw.
Aldona Wos returned to New York to complete her residency and a fellowship with a specialty in lung diseases.
In 1997, Aldona Wos left her medical practice and moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, with her husband Louis DeJoy, who was CEO of New Breed Logistics Inc from 1983 to 2014.
In May 2002, Aldona Wos was appointed to a seat on the board of directors of the US Holocaust Memorial Council.
Aldona Wos was part of the second campaign to elect Pat McCrory as Governor of North Carolina.
Aldona Wos later served as co-chairwoman for the campaign and after McCrory's win, she was a part of his transition team.
In June 2012, Aldona Wos was appointed to the board of governors of the University of North Carolina by the state's Republican-controlled General Assembly.
In December 2012, North Carolina Governor-elect Pat McCrory announced that Aldona Wos will be a member of his Cabinet as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Aldona Wos declined her $128,000 salary and was instead paid a token $1.
Aldona Wos released her responses to the audit in an appendix, agreeing on all points with the auditor, including the conclusion that DHHS had consistently exceeded budgeted amounts for administrative costs due to lack of oversight by the previous administration.
Aldona Wos stated that she was disappointed that the state elected not to move forward with her proposal to reform the state's entire Medicaid program.
The delays were very persistent, and on January 24,2014, the United States Department of Agriculture sent a letter to Aldona Wos stating that as of that date, North Carolina had a backlog of 20,243 SNAP cases that had not been processed within the 30 day deadline required by US law.
Aldona Wos resigned on August 15,2015, stating in a press conference that it was "simply time to go home" and spend time with her family.
Aldona Wos has spoken publicly about the need to remember Holocaust victims.
Aldona Wos's husband donated $747,000 to Duke University in 2014, funding Blue Devil Tower and the DeJoy Family Club at the football stadium.
Aldona Wos has been involved in efforts to raise money for a number of nonprofit organizations and private schools as well.
Aldona Wos served on the board of the United Way of Greater Greensboro, and has been involved with the Family Services of the Piedmont, Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, and the Triad Stage Theatre.
Aldona Wos was instrumental in raising the finances for the Greensboro Ballet gala, held in February 2011, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ballet company and school once attended by her children.