Page 5 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - July 27, 2022

Menor-McNamara: An Advocate For All Of Hawai‘i
as president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i (she’s currently on sabbatical during the cam- paign), where she made her mark as the organization’s youngest and first female leader in its 173-year histo- ry, as well as the first person of Asian descent to serve as CEO of any state chamber. And, she led the organiza- tion to a national “Chamber of the Year” award — an- other first for any Chamber in Hawai‘i.
JULY 27, 2022
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 5
FROM PAGE 4
Breaking new ground is standard for Menor-Mc- Namara, who made the decision to run for lieu- tenant governor during the pandemic. As head of the Chamber, she saw how the last couple of years have af- fected the more than 2,000 businesses (80% of those are small businesses) that are part of the organization’s network.
Sherry Menor-McNamara (center) attends a campaign event in Hilo with (from left) husband John McNamara, Jerry Chang, Harvey and Helen Tajiri, and mom Naomi Menor.
from 1964 to 1970 before going on to become the Managing Director of Ha- wai‘i County.
As the only candidate to come from a busi- ness-minded background, Menor-McNamara relies on her personal experience and educational back- ground to provide a solid framework for the state’s second-highest office. As head of the Chamber, she’s worked with numerous leg- islators and administrators on all levels of government and knows the intricacies of how state entities work. In addition, she earned her bachelor’s in political sci- ence from University of California at Los Angeles, as well as higher-ed degrees from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s William S. Rich- ardson School of Law and
Sherry Menor-McNamara graduated from Waiākea High School in 1989 and was student body president her senior year. PHOTOS COURTESY SHERRY4LG
“It impacted us heavily and there are challenges are that have not improved,” she says. “When you look ns at it, a lot of times it’s the c,” same leadership in office. I to felt that during this pivotal, ce defining moment in Hawai‘i al- that it’s time to move for- ill ward and do things differ-
Shidler College of Business. And, she’s up for the chal- lenge, which she likens to running a marathon (she’s completed five already and is looking forward to the up- coming Honolulu Marathon
ing in on how high schools, community colleges, univer- sities, educators and com- munity organizations can work together to strengthen the talent pipeline.
grant from Japan, started her own business four decades ago that’s still going strong.
plans to be a hands-on type of leader, one who goes out into communities across the islands to talk, learn and col- laborate — not one who re- mains stuck on the fifth floor.
ied ently.”
d.” Menor-McNamara might
my mindset,” explains Menor-McNamara, who’s also a certified yoga sculpt instructor. “The first several miles you’ re on a high, and after you get tired, you push through it.”
Seeing her grandparents operate their small family farm — bought with money saved up from working the sugar plantations — was Menor-McNamara’s intro- duction to the world of en- trepreneurship and the joys small businesses can bring.
“Sherry does so much behind the scenes to make sure we all have the best opportunities to succeed,” notes chef Sam Choy. “For me, that means not just fight- ing for my restaurant and employees, but supporting the farmers and fisherman where I get my food, so I can showcase and serve the best local products and cook with the finest ingredients in the world. This Big Island wa- hine has vision.”
e- be a newcomer to the big e’s stage of Hawai‘i politics, but m- got her feet wet in the world res of student government as hn president/vice president of d- her classes, finally becom- ice ing student body president
First and foremost, she’s committed to working shoulder to shoulder with the state’s future governor to address the many issues facing Hawai‘i, namely the cost of living and price of doing business. She also wants to build up the state’s education and workforce de- velopment, specifically hon-
“After 16 years with the Chamber, now is the time to do my part,” she adds. “To- gether we can build a better Hawai‘i.”
ice her senior year.
ka The importance of giv-
“I have seen firsthand growing up the challenges and sacrifices it takes to run a small business here in Ha- wai‘i,” she notes, adding that her mom Naomi, an immi-
in December).
“It’s challenging
Then there’s the need for a comprehensive recovery plan that includes support for local entrepreneurs, who are the backbone of the state’s economy.
And entrepreneurs are taken with this first-time contender who wants to shine a light on the impor- tance of small businesses to Hawai‘i’s economy — and has concrete plans to help them flourish.
“I’ve had a lot of expe- rience in my career on a winding path,” she says with a laugh. “And I was able to gain a lot more experience, skills and relationships, and learned to keep an open mind in navigating difficult issues.
ice ing back to the community re- through public service was a se value instilled in her by her on dad, Barney Menor, who served in the state House
Menor-McNamara has
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