 This is Politics in Hawaii with Dennis Isaki. Today we'll be speaking with Shariah Menor McNamara, the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. I don't wanna take up the whole show, reading off her bio, but she has an extensive background. She is from the Big Island and it started political science, has a law and MBA degree from UH among other things. Speaking of political science, I have an interesting story, like I mentioned to Shariah. Well, at Kapa'a High School, I think it was a junior year, we had a, it was the only AP class they offered me, so it took political science. We had a good project. And my project was to repeal the motorcycle helmet law. And a few years later, they repealed it and it stands still today. Wow. Okay, anyway, Shariah has worked for the state, Hawaii state legislature, Nahua Ibo, Sony Carp, Alten Ja, Senator Kaka, and in the White House she has lived in Tokyo, New York, DC and London. She serves on many non-profit boards and been recognized by the Pacific Business Journal, Hawaii Business Magazine, among other organizations. Shariah, thank you for joining us today. Thank you for having me here, good to see you. Let's talk about your life first, we're only 30 minutes, but let's start from your childhood and to where we are now, Shariah. Sure, I was born in actually Tokyo, Japan because my mom was born and raised in Japan and she moved to Hawaii over 50 years ago, I believe. So yeah, she went back to have me and then came right back. So my entire life, that was pretty much raised in Hilo and went to Hilo Union, Waikea Intermediate, Waikea High School, Soprald Public School graduate. And my dad's side, my grandpa and grandma immigrated from the Philippines and my grandpa, Angelo was a laborer. And after he was let go, he just focused on his farm in Pahoa and his farm at everything. I mean, from oranges, tangerines, avocado, mountain apple, ulu, papaya, macadamia nuts. And I remember my brother and I, my brother John John and I used to spend every summer in Pahoa with my grandparents because my parents worked and they would put us to work. So we would pick all the fruits and vegetables and also even crack macadamia nuts. So there were times I cracked my thumb here and there was the kind of old fashioned way of cracking macadamia nuts. And yeah, but that was the way they fed their family. That was the way they made a living. That's the way they supported their neighbors by giving them free vegetables and fruits. So it's very community focused and all their kids, six of them all served in the public sector from secretary to a director to my dad who is a deputy managing director under Mayor Matayoshi. So my grandparents really ingrained the work ethic and the need to always support the greater community. So that's sort of my family background. I have a lot of half sisters and brothers and a one full brother, John John. But yeah, and then so once I was done with high school I went to school in LA, UCLA and spent eight years on the continent and then two years in Japan working for Sony and then made my thought, okay, it's time to come back home. So I moved back home to Hawaii and I didn't come back home with any job. So I decided, oh, it's time to go back to school. And so I went to apply to law school and got in and it was after the first year I recognized that I didn't want to practice law but I decided, you know what? I did my first year, just stick it through. So I ended up doing that. And then I said, you know what? I'm just gonna add one more year and go to get my MBA. So I did that. But in between from getting my, going to law school in the morning and then going to business school in the evening I held two jobs. One of them was the Shards in Hawaii Bowl and the other one was at the state capitol. I was a legislative aide and I was doing that time. I really found the passion. I mean, I had a lot of exciting jobs through my career in different kind of industries but it was this one that really tugged up my heart and felt that that was what I wanted to do. So after I graduated, didn't quite want to work at the state capitol but wanted to work in government affairs. And so I set my resumes to every law firm that had a government affairs division. And there was one, most of them did not respond but there was one that did but said, I mean, we don't have a position but we do want to meet with you. So I said, okay, so we had coffee, talk sorry. And then low and behold, a few days later, she said, oh, there was a job at the Chamber of Commerce opening up in government affairs. I said, oh, okay. I had no idea what the chamber was. And so I looked it up and realized it was a business organization with most of the membership, small businesses. So the mission was to advocate for business but that's what resonated because my mom owns a small business in Hilo for more than 40 years. And I've seen what she had to go through the sacrifices. The blood sweat tears to keep her doors open. So it just kind of aligned and that's where I thought, okay, I can do this. And 16 years later, I'm still at the Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii. Yeah, that's great. I heard there's a funny story about how your mom met your dad and how you met your husband. You want to tell us about it? Wow, you really did your research. Okay, so my mom and dad. So after my mom's first marriage ended, she was living in Honolulu, where she had moved to Honolulu and then from Japan. And then my dad at that time was campaigning because he ran for the House of Representatives for the Makiki District. And so he's just knocking on doors and one of the doors he knocked was my mom's door, apartment door and the rest is history. And then my husband, John McNamara. So he had just moved to Oahu from Chicago at that time because he was recruited by the University of Hawaii Athletics Director at that time. And so that was in 2004. And at that time I was working at the Sheraton, Hawaii Bowl. And so we had an event at Murphy's Bar and Grill and he comes walking in and like, okay, he missed his speaking engagements. I was not too happy because I was responsible for that. And I say, he missed your speaking engagement. And he said, oh, okay. And he starts walking in, start mingling with others. And then he got, he forgot his name tags. I went up to him, you forgot your name tag. So he goes, oh, and then he was telling us. So anyway, we're all sitting around the table. He sat next to me, just talking story and we just could not stop talking. So one by one as people started to go, they said, oh, sure you want to ride home. I said, he said, no, no, I'll take her home. I'll take her, I'll give her a ride home. And then 15 people later, finally at the end it was just the two of us. And so he went to the restroom and he came back and I said, there's something I need to tell you. And I said, oh gosh, don't tell me what he, I don't know if, you know, I was thinking the worst at that moment because I really liked this guy. And then finally he goes, I don't have a car. I'm like, what? Oh, geez. He's like, I didn't live in North Shore someplace far because that taxi ride would have been really expensive. And what else, 2004, we got married in 2007. So, 17 years later. So you're pretty callable then. Yeah, most noted for your leadership at the way chamber of commerce, can you tell us about some of your work, especially during the pandemic? Yeah, Dennis, thank you so much for asking. You know, the past couple of years, obviously have been just some of the darkest moments for many from families to individuals and to our local and small businesses. So for our chamber, we had to put a halt in our regular activities because a lot of it was events phase. So obviously we could not pursue and move on with live events. So what we did was just pivot and did everything we did could possible to help our small and local businesses navigate during this time because no one had a playbook. And initially we felt that there was nothing being done, you know, no matter. And so we felt that we had to advocate even louder. And so we did. And then finally said, okay, there's a lot of carers monies out there and it's not being spent. What can we do to help businesses? So we came up with two programs. One, the Hawaii restaurant card program and two, the Hawaii business pivot program. And we proposed those two programs to Governor Eagate and fortunately he supported both of them. So as he may be familiar with the Hawaii restaurant card program, that was a $75 million program that actually pumped in more than $150 million into the economy, stabilized the restaurant industry because they were being impacted severely and saved many jobs, restaurants and the entire supply chain from the distributors to repair shops to the fishermen and farmers, right? Because the supply chain restaurant industry goes so long. So we're, you know, really humbled by the support of that program that gave the cards to those on unemployment, $500 gift cards. So they were able to at that moment spend it, maybe at their favorite restaurant that they couldn't go to at that time. So we thought it was a program that benefited all during that time in the Hawaii business pivot program. As you know, many of them had to pivot and find different ways to operate and run their business. So we ran that program as well. And that was a $25 million program. So those are some of the highlights. And we also stood up Hawaiiishiring.com which is a one-stop job center where those who were seeking employment could find jobs in search by different industries, different type of position, different islands. And we continue to add to that website. So those who want to retrain from hospitality industry to let's say technology, we have resources to help them retrain them. And we partner with the University of Hawaii, the community colleges, workforce development and really did what we could to partner with as many organizations and government as possible. So that collectively we could get back on track with economic recovery, get people back to work amongst other initiatives. So yeah, it was a tough couple of years, but through it all, many of us pushed forward and we're still not out of the woodwork as we see. Omnicron has again disrupted many of business operations as well as employees by catching the Omnicron because it's so contagious. But yeah, but we're gonna continue to push forward and work together with as many people as we can to ensure that our local mom and pop stores, small businesses can survive and thrive, hopefully as we move forward. Yeah, thanks. What about tourism in the Hawaii, tourism and lodging association and where they're going right now in the coming year? Yeah, I think many of us aren't seeing paid in terms of we need to manage tourism better and that is happening right now. HTA came up with the destination management plans and what's great about that is that there's one for each island because each island is different and it also engaged different stakeholders. So not only those in the industry, but those connected to the industry, but those outside of the industry to really get constructive feedback as to what can be done to manage tourism better? What can we do to ensure that visitors can have a positive experience and what can we do to make tourism more sustainable? So those action plans finalize some of them, it's ongoing real time. So each island has its own and checking off what has been done and what needs to be done because ultimately tourism industry is still a number one industry and we need to support it because it can't just go away overnight. But next is how can we interconnect other industries in Hawaii where there is egg, having more egg products used by the tourism industry, manufacturing companies here, how can we promote our manufacturing products made in Hawaii products to visitors more effectively? Technology, how can we incorporate more technology industry? So how can we make it more interconnected so that tourism benefits other industries as well? Because again, tourism industry is a number one industry, largest job provider in single industry. So we need to support it but we also need to manage it and do better. Recently, Governor Igay mentioned a $100 giveaway. You see it, it's similar to your restaurant card. Yeah, anything to support the working families, support, all of us here are people because it's tough time still for many of them and the cost of living is so high, affordable housing. I mean, housing is so high amongst other challenges so every dollar counts and if that $100 can go to those who need it the most, that way they can use it to the basic necessities because again, many are still struggling to get out of the situation. Similarly to a card program, it was to help those who are unemployed and also help in industry and have it a multiplier effect and to have a greater return on the initial investment of the $100. Yeah, but I heard it's gonna be tied into like a taxpayer, a tax credit. Does it mean it's gonna be only for taxpayers and not necessarily some other people that may need it? Yeah, we'll see, right? Because the legislative session just started, we need to look at the bills and as it goes through the process, it will evolve but the underlying point is that we need to address all pillars of the cost of living. Wage is one factor, they're talking about minimum wage, housing is another as well as childcare and so what can we do holistically and approach it in a more holistic way so that we can adjust all these different pillars that increase the cost of living and manage that. So, while the $100 is gonna help, we also need to look at the other pillars that are driving the cost of living. Okay, since you mentioned it, the minimum wage is a big thing. Yes. You speak for the members of the Chamber of Commerce with regards to in the past, fighting the minimum wage increase. However, many people have to work like who are three jobs to make ends meet. So what do you say to that? Yeah, in the past, we haven't supported minimum wage increases. 2019, we did not because we heard from our members that it was challenging and then 2020, we did support a minimum wage and then the legislature canceled session because that's when COVID started. Last session, 2021, we did not support an increase because as you know, many of our local businesses were still climbing out of that deep hole that COVID caused because we were nearly in a shutdown twice. So many of them depleted their savings, many of them took out loans, many of them lost revenue due to lost business. And so we felt that the timing wasn't right. And now for this session, we do support some type of increase. We recently surveyed our members to see what their thoughts are on the $18, a stepped up increase. And with Omnicron and workforce shortage amongst in the supply chain issues, there are some concerns that were expressed by members because they felt that that might be a little bit too steep and considering that they're still not a full recovery. But we understand that inflation is a huge issue and wages do need to go up. So we are gonna support subtype of increase and still assessing what that level is. And one thing to note because here in Hawaii, we're the only state in the nation that provides prepaid healthcare and it's a huge benefit, an important benefit and employers support that. But when you factor in what that cost per employee, that's another three to $4 per employee per hour. So in all the different fringe benefits that's tied into the wage level is factor in. So it's the wage level amount plus another three to four or even six if you factor in the fringe benefit. So just as we discuss minimum wage, I wanna make sure that the lawmakers understand that as they discuss what level they wanna increase it to. But we also hope that if they do increase, there'll be some type of support for local businesses whether it's tax credit or something that will help offset the increase. But again, in general, we do, we want to support and increase this session because we recognize the cost of living is extraordinarily high and prices continue to go up and many of our families are so struggling during this time. Yes, thanks for clarifying that. And as you mentioned, it's not only the direct salary, you got the benefits. Some people get like over two months of daily benefits, vacation, sick leave, holidays and this all come out of the employer. So you can only look at the base pay. Go ahead. And then many, talking with small businesses as well as serving, they wanna do everything they can to keep their employees to provide the benefits because many of our small businesses here in Hawaii are less than 25 employees, less than 10. So they're like family and many of them are flexible in providing whether it's sick leave or family leave or vacation, whatever it is. And now more than ever, businesses need to work with employees and be flexible. Let's talk about the work for shortage. That's been a huge challenge for many business across the board. Doesn't matter what industry or in the finding workers and one way to attract workers is to keep workers is to provide those benefits and to be flexible with their schedules. So that's what we encourage as well, in terms of our businesses to provide those type of opportunities as well. And then of course, where they can and we're seeing this already, many of them are increasing their wage levels as a way to attract employees, keep employees but recognizing also the cost of living issue. Yeah, that's a biggie. I know you spent a lot of time at the chamber but besides you work at the chamber, what do you say is your most memorable accomplishment? Wow, I've been 16 years at the chamber so far. There is so many to name and because we have a wonderful and a team that believes in the mission of the organization and work hard but I couldn't be more proud in the past couple of years how they've stepped up during this time to help save our small businesses, to help them navigate COVID, the pandemic in the past couple of years as well as finding new and innovative ways to help our business community during this time. And this team we have now is just, it's just, I can't say enough about them and the positive energy they bring and the desire to ensure that we do good and help our businesses. So there's a lot of projects we've done in the last 16 years that have helped businesses as well as, but I like to add one thing is or strengthening our education workforce development. So we've been investing more in that, working with high schools, working with community colleges and other type of programs and really strengthening our talent pipeline, creating different types of jobs and getting our kids excited about those types of jobs. So that's been very exciting to see how we've been so involved in education in connecting our students with work-based learning opportunities and providing them exposure to what's out there so that they will want to stay home here knowing that there are jobs out there. So that's an area, I could talk another hour about that area, but it's truly exciting to see that kind of progress going on and making a real impact on student lives as well as our talent pipeline. Okay, we have like a few minutes left. I should have asked this earlier. Okay, you know, a couple of years ago, you were hesitated to answer a question if you're running for political office and now you're running for a lieutenant governor. Okay, here's a question from a listener. What do you think you can do more as a lieutenant governor than as president of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii? Well, you know, for me, you know, I guess I get asked the three why's, why am I running, why OG and why me? You know, for me, my constituency right now is the business community. And I just felt that as we get back on track towards economic recovery, I wanted to serve a broader constituency and what I saw in the past couple of years and the lack of communication, the lack of connection to our communities and it just propelled me to take that leap and wanting to make an impact on a broader level. So that's why I decided to make a run for lieutenant governor. But why lieutenant governor? Because based on my role as president of the Chamber of Commerce and all my different jobs I had throughout my career, it was about collaboration. It was about bringing people together, working with different stakeholders and connecting with different stakeholders out there. So I felt that that was where the LG could serve a role in partnering with the governor from day one and being sort of that bridge built up between a communities and government, working with the legislature, working with the governor and finding collaborative solutions by listening to the communities out there across the islands. And that's where I see the LG can play a purposeful role in doing that in truly going on to the communities, listening and then being that bridge builder and being that link and helping the governor shape a policy agenda that will get us back on track towards economic recovery, expand job opportunities, really in restore trust in government. And I'm not a career politician. As you know, this is my first time running, but I can't paint from ground up, but it was a decision I felt that was important and that I wanted to do to make a broader impact for our state. And I am from Kilo. So I also believe that the neighbor island voice is not as represented. And so coming from the neighbor island specifically Kilo, I understand that firsthand. So I wanna make sure that all islands are heard and their voice is part of the process. Yeah, thanks. You look at the governor's jobs and what the governor gives them, right? Surely they won't let you do two jobs like Josh Green. Anyway, also, you're born in Japan, right? Right. So you know that you cannot run for the president of the United States, right? Yes, I'm a naturalized citizen. You're exactly right. Okay, we get a lot of women running, you know, women running. Yeah. Yeah, we're running for lieutenant governor and for governor, you know, we got women running so that's good. So some people say like, oh, you know, how can you have two women or something? What do you say to that? We need more women in leadership possessions in government. Ultimately, we wanna make sure that whoever is governor, he or she is focused on the key and critical issues and that, you know, lieutenant governor will partner with the governor. We can't have a competing agendas or a competition from day one, then it just won't work and it's not fair to the people. And so we need to ensure that whoever gets elected for lieutenant governor and governor, that they work together hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder as partners. Okay, you got it out of time. Do you got any closing statements? Yeah, Dennis, thank you so much for the opportunity. You know, it's been a tough couple of years for all of us and we're gonna push through and we need to bring that hope and optimism back and upcoming election will be critical to determine, okay, do we want same old same old or do we want fresh ideas, fresh leadership, fresh perspectives? Whatever the decision is, that's something that the voter will need to decide on. But, you know, whatever they decide on, making sure that they do vote, get their voices heard and also get engaged in the process because the more people who advocate or get active, the better we can to come up with collaborative and collective solutions. So I just thank you and just wanted to thank also everyone out there and from the chamber had all the local business, our mom and pop shops for really pushing for their determination, resilience and their grit because they've been working hard to ensure that they can keep their doors open and it's just amazing inspiring when we do talk with them and they share their story. Thank you, I understand you'll be coming to Kauai. So I'll see you with Marco Yama at Thursday, Thursday, Thursday and also at the Filipino Chamber. Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing you as well as on the full time. Go ahead. Okay, yeah, we're out of time. We hope you enjoyed listening to Sherry Menor McNamara on Think Tech Hawaii. Thank you to the viewers for joining me on Politics in Hawaii. Please help support Think Tech Hawaii and donating online to ThinkTechHawaii.com so we can continue sharing the shows with you. Aloha, mahalo, ahoiho, mahalama, pono.