Sherry Menor's influence spans the globe — literally.
Menor, president and CEO at Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, is set to receive the Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World award from the Foundation for Filipina Women's Network.
The recognition is based on a "quantifiable achievements and demonstrated leadership excellence," a recent announcement from the chamber noted. Menor will receive the Policymaker & Visionary — The Strategist award "in recognition of her influence on public policy, legislative leadership and strategic initiatives that deliver measurable results," the chamber says.
She'll be honored later this month at an awards gala during the 22nd Filipina Leadership Global Summit in Monaco.
“I’m deeply honored to be recognized alongside so many accomplished Filipina leaders from around the world. I’m grateful for the mentors, colleagues and community who have shaped my journey, and I am committed to continue creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders in Hawai‘i and beyond,” Menor said in the announcement.
She told Aloha State Daily on Wednesday that her latest recognition is a reflection of how she was raised.
Noting that she was selected for policy and vision, Menor says the award ties back to what she does at the chamber, but also her roots.
"My grandparents immigrated from the Philippines and my mom immigrated from Japan, so it's the values they instilled in me, especially on my Filipino side, which is about giving back, always thinking about the greater good, thinking about community," she told ASD. "Those values were instilled in me when I was young and to get this award is a reflection of my grandparents and how they raised their kids and how my dad instilled those values in me."
Menor said her grandparents had six kids, two of whom were born in the Philippines; her dad, a former representative and public servant himself, was born here.
According to the chamber, Menor was chosen from a "competitive international field for her work in nonprofit and government affairs." Menor says she was nominated for the award but then had to fill out an extensive application.
As part of the recognition, the chamber says Menor will commit to a two-year Global Pitch Project that benefits the next generation of leaders in the community.
Menor says she pitched an idea called Pinay Spark, a proposed leadership initiative for Filipina women in Hawai‘i that would connect high school students, emerging professionals and executives through mentorship, career opportunities and community projects.
The idea, she says, is "they grow as leaders and return to support the next generation, so you create this ecosystem, this pipeline," similar to some chamber initiatives, she explained.
According to her bio on the chamber's website, Menor was born in Tokyo but raised in Hilo, where she graduated from Waiākea High School. She received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles, pursued graduate study in public administration at the University of Southern California, received a law degree from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law and an MBA from UH's Shidler College of Business.
Menor was appointed president and CEO of the chamber in 2013; she was the youngest and first woman leader in the organization's 176-year history, and the first female Asian American to lead a state chamber of commerce in the U.S.
According to the chamber, her career spans the public and private sectors and includes work with the state Legislature, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and the Executive Office of the President of the United States, as well as experience with companies like Sony Corp. Estee Lauder, Elton John Productions and 60 Minutes.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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