In 1997, Sherry F. Bellamy made the cover of a Career Communications Group magazine. She was celebrated for her role in promoting women in telecommunications and information technology. On March 1, 1997, Bellamy stepped into a new role as president and CEO of Bell Atlantic - Maryland.

She had joined the corporation in 1991 and was promoted to vice president and general counsel of Bell Atlantic - Washington a few months later.

Bell Atlantic originally operated in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.

In 1996, after Bell Atlantic's merger, it moved its corporate headquarters from Philadelphia to New York City. Bellamy was one of the high-powered lawyers that facilitated the merger.

As chief legal counsel, Bellamy helped prepare the Washington, D.C. company for the new competitive telecommunications environment by winning the D. C. Public Service Commission's approval of price cap regulation. In 1996, she also advanced that effort by working for the passage of a local telecommunications law that will further ensure a level playing field for all competitors in the D.C. market.

After nearly 20 years at Verizon, she went on to serve as a partner, chief operating officer, principal, special counsel, and managing member at various firms.

Bellamy is a graduate of Yale Law School and holds a B.A. degree in political science from Swarthmore College. A specialist in communications law, she has held positions with the law firms of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, and Chadbourne and Parke. Early in her career, as a staff attorney with the New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Bellamy established a specialized civil litigation section for the representation of children.

Bellamy's community and professional activities have included the Greater Washington Urban League, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Federal Communications Bar Association, and the National Bar Association.