Page 7 - MidWeek Kauai - July 27, 2022

Menor-McNamara: An Advocate For All Of Hawai‘i
dent and CEO of the Cham- ber of Commerce Hawai‘i (she’s currently on sabbat- ical during the campaign), where she made her mark as the organization’s youngest and first female leader in its 173-year history, as well as the first person of Asian de- scent to serve as CEO of any state chamber. And, she led the organization to earning a national “Chamber of the Year” award — another first for any Chamber in Hawai‘i.
JULY 27, 2022
KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 7
FROM PAGE 6
Breaking new ground is standard for Menor-Mc- Namara, who made the de- cision to run for lieutenant governor during the pan- demic. As the head of the Chamber, she saw how the last couple of years have af- fected the more than 2,000 businesses statewide (80% of those are local small busi- nesses) that are part of the organization’s network.
Sherry Menor-McNamara (second from left), chefs Mark Oyama (left) and Alan Wong (second from right), and Leigh Ito prepare dishes for a campaign event. PHOTOS COURTESY SHERRY4LG
going on to become the Managing Director of Ha- wai‘i County.
As the only candidate to come from a business-mind- ed background, Menor-Mc- Namara relies on her personal experience and ed- ucational background to pro- vide a solid framework for the state’s second-highest office. During her 16 years with 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 Shidler College of Business.
And, she’s up for the chal-
Sherry Menor-McNamara (standing) takes part in a backyard talk-story session with Garden Isle voters.
“It impacted us heavily and there are challenges that have not improved,” says the
lenge, which she likens to running a marathon (she’s completed five already and is looking forward to the up- coming Honolulu Marathon in December).
munity organizations can work together to strengthen the talent pipeline.
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 succeed.
“When the pandemic threatened small local busi- nesses like mine, Sherry was there for us and had our backs,” recalls chef Mark Oyama, who runs Mark’s Place in Puhi and Contem- porary Flavors Catering in Līhu‘e. “She fought for programs like the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card, which helped those struggling to feed their families, while at the same time, helped restaurants like mine to keep our doors open and keep paying our hardworking employees, while also help- ing our farmers, fishermen and others along the supply chain. We need leaders (like
her) who deliver results.” Menor-McNamara 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. “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
he Waiākea High grad. “When es. you look at it, a lot of times are it’s the same leadership in ve office. I felt that during this ia pivotal, defining moment nd in Hawai‘i that it’s time to ith move forward and do things
“It’s challenging my mind- set,” explains Menor-Mc- Namara, who’s also a certi- fied yoga sculpt instructor. “The first several miles you’ re on a high, and af- ter you get tired, you push through it.”
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.
’ve differently.”
ob Menor-McNamara might
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.
be a newcomer to the big e- stage of Hawai‘i politics, e’s but she got her feet wet in m- the world of student gov- res ernment as president/vice hn president of her classes, fi- d- nally becoming student body
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- ing in on how high schools, community colleges, univer- sities, educators and com-
issues.
“After 16 years with the
ice president her senior year. ice The importance of giv- ka ing back to the community of through public service was a tly, value instilled in her by her al- dad, Barney Menor, who si- served in the state House from 1964 to 1970 before
“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- grant from Japan, started her own business four decades ago that’s still going strong.
Chamber, now is the time to do my part,” she adds. “To- gether we can build a better Hawai‘i.”
And entrepreneurs are
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