OWL is very pleased to welcome Sherry Menor-McNamara to our annual luncheon meeting. As the youngest and first female President and Chief Executive Officer of The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii in the organization’s 166-year history, Sherry truly exemplifies the women leaders who make up our organization and caps off a great year of guest-speakers with impressive records of firsts in their professions.
Sherry joined the Chamber as Director of Business Advocacy in 2006 and was promoted to Vice President of Business Advocacy and Government Affairs in 2007. She then served as the organization's Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs before assuming her current position. Prior to joining the Chamber, she was events manager for ESPN Sports’ Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. She has lived in several major cities working for a wide variety of companies, such as Sony Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Estee Lauder Company, Field Group, Elton John Production and “60 Minutes” news magazine show, as well as for the Hawaii State Legislature, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka and the Executive Office of the U.S. President.
Sherry currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Queen’s Health Systems, Board of Trustees of the JAIMS Foundation, Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Move Oahu Forward, Executive Committee of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Board of Directors for the FILCom Center, Board of Directors for the East-West Center Foundation, Advisory Council of the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, Board of Directors for Girls Scouts Hawaii, and on numerous task forces.
Sherry currently is a fellow of the Omidyar Fellows Leadership Program. In 2015, Sherry was selected to represent the United States in the Korea Foundation’s Program for Distinguished Individuals in Economy. In 2014, she was recognized as “Top 10 to Watch” by Pacific Business News and in 2012, she was recognized as a “Top 20 to Watch” by Hawaii Business magazine. Sherry was also inducted as a Laureate into the 2014 Class of the Junior Achievement of Hawaii Hall of Fame. Additionally, in 2014, she was selected and participated in the prestigious Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs leadership program.
Sherry earned a certificate in Expanding Impact in Advocacy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education. She received her juris doctorate degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law and her MBA from the Shidler College of Business. She also pursued graduate study in public administration at the University of Southern California and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Hilo, where she graduated from Waiakea High School, Sherry is married to John McNamara. She enjoys golfing, traveling and spending time with her husband and dogs, Bruin and Kuma-chan.
You won't want to miss this wonderful opportunity to gather with your fellow OWL sisters and guests to hear from this remarkable woman leader!