Sherry F. Bellamy, the first person to be honored as Technologist of the Year, was featured on the cover of a Career Communications Group magazine in 1997 for her contributions towards promoting women in telecommunications and information technology.
On March 1, 1997, Bellamy was appointed as the 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 initially operated in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. In 1996, after Bell Atlantic merged with another company, it shifted its 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 worked towards passing a local telecommunications law that would ensure a level playing field for all competitors in the D.C. market.
After spending nearly 20 years at Verizon, she held various positions such as partner, chief operating officer, principal, special counsel, and managing member at different firms.
Bellamy is an alumnus of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College, where she earned her B.A. degree in political science.
Her expertise lies in communications law, and she has worked 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 to represent 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.
Throughout Black History Month, Women of Color (WOC) Online has shared the stories and accomplishments of WOC award winners. Click the links below to read more about all the African American scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians who have been awarded the top prize at the WOC STEM Conference.
