2022 Chamber Week: (Virtual) From Hawaii to the Hill: Legislative & Policy Outlook presented by Zippy's Restaurants

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. For Late Registration, email tfetui@cochawaii.org.

Chamber Week - a week-long series of events and programming that coincides with the opening of the Hawaii State Legislature to connect members and the business community with legislators and engage them in the legislative process.  Click here to view a short video about Chamber Week.

Register to attend (Virtual) From Hawaii to the Hill: Legislative & Policy Outlook presented by Zippy's Restaurants to hear from experts on 2022 legislation that will impact the business community. Join this informative session to learn about how the legislative process works locally and nationally, the benefits of joining a Chamber policy committee and getting involved in support of your business.

Hear from an outstanding line up of speakers including:

• U.S. Senator Brian Schatz will provide a national policy outlook for the state of Hawaii;
• Jimmy Chan will share his personal experience as a business owner with getting involved with the legislative process to submit testimony and make a difference for other small business owners, like himself.
• Jennings Imel will provide an update from the federal level and what we can expect in 2022 on key issues that will impact business in Hawaii;
• Sherry Menor-McNamara will provide a Leg 101 presentation and will share tips on how to navigate the Hawaii State Legislature website;

Brought to you in partnership with the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Can't join us live? No problem! Register to attend and we will send you the recording of the webinar afterwards.
 

​U.S. Senator Brian Schatz

Brian Schatz is Hawaii’s senior United States Senator. He serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Foreign Relations Committee; and the Select Committee on Ethics. Schatz also chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and serves on the Senate Democratic Caucus’s leadership team as Chief Deputy Whip.

Jimmy Chan
Founder and CEO
Hawaiian Chip Company

Jimmy Chan, Founder and CEO of Hawaiian Chip Company, started the Hawaiian Chip Company in the year 2000 by making sweet potato chips on a little table top fryer to sell at the open markets. The birth of his delectable chips began from his entrepreneur aspirations and inspiration from watching Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show.  From dream to conception, Jimmy’s relentless pursuit to find the best cooking method and perfect balance of spices has made Hawaiian Chip Company’s sweet potato and taro chips a favorite snack in Hawaii. 

By the second year Hawaiian Chip Co. was struggling and on the brink of bankruptcy. With guidance from other leaders in Hawaii’s business community, the company survived. The company is now profitable, with the chips sold statewide. Despite opportunities to expand moving production to the mainland, Chan is committed to staying put in Hawaii and providing local jobs to the people of Hawaii.  Instead of expanding production elsewhere, the company keeps production in Hawaii to maintain quality and the specialized processing. 

Hawaiian Chip Company received the SBA’s Exporter of the Year for the City & County of Honolulu, 2017. In 2020, the Hawaiian Chip Company acquired Menehune Mac.

Jimmy Chan serves on the Board of Directors for The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Jason Higa
Chief Executive Officer
FCH Enterprises

Jason Higa is the CEO of FCH Enterprises, which includes Zippy's Restaurants, Napoleon's Bakery, Food Solutions International, Pomaikai Ballrooms at Dole Cannery, A Catered Experience, and Kahala and Pearl City Sushi. Prior to joining FCH Enterprises, Jason worked as a Honolulu Attorney from 1990 to 1995, working in the areas of litigation and transactional law. 

In 1995, Jason returned to FCH Enterprises and worked in different positions with the family business before assuming the position of CEO and President in 2003. Jason currently serves in the position of CEO for FCH Enterprises.


Jennings Imel
Executive Director
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
 
Before joining the U.S. Chamber staff in 2013, Jennings worked in Washington, DC at the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress and at the public affairs firm of Mercury, Clark & Weinstock. Prior to moving to DC, Jennings worked in the California State Assembly; he also managed and worked on several successful congressional and state legislative campaigns, mostly in the Southern California region.
 
Jennings received a master's degree in international affairs from The George Washington University and bachelor's degrees in political science and German from the University of California, Riverside.


Sherry Menor-McNamara
President & CEO 
Chamber of Commerce Hawaii

As President & CEO of the Chamber, Sherry is the youngest and first female and Japanese-Filipino leader in the organization's 169 year history.

She previously worked for the Hawaii State Legislature, ESPN's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Sony Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Estee Lauder Company, Elton John Production, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka and the Executive Office of the United States President.

Sherry serves on numerous boards including The Queen's Health Systems, JAIMS Foundation, FILCom Center, East-West Center Foundation, Center for Tomorrow's Leaders and Move Oahu Forward, as well as on a number of task forces.

She is a graduate of the Omidyar Fellows Leadership Program and in 2015, was selected to represent the United States in the Korea Foundation's Program for Distinguished Individuals in Economic Sector, In 2014, she was selected to participate in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Program and was recognized as "Top 10 to Watch" by Biz Journal's Pacific Business News. In 2012, she was recognized as a "Top 20 to Watch" by HawaiiBusiness magazine.

She earned a certificate in Expanding Impact in Advocacy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education. She holds a BA from UCAL and JD/MBA from the University of Hawaii.