Member Spotlight – February 2022
Sherri Brown, Ph.D.
Sherri joined the Zonta Club of St. Louis in 2012 because of her passion for global women’s issues. She has served in a variety of roles in the St. Louis club including: Zest Editor (2013-16), Vice President (2016-17), President (2017-2020). Since 2020, she has served as STEM Committee Chair and has recently become Long Range Planning Director.
Sherri enjoys participating in Zonta outside St. Louis. She traveled to Haiti in 2015 as part of the District 7 project and traveled to Nice, France to attend the 2016 Zonta International Convention. Sherri is currently serving on the Zonta District 7 Board as Area 2 Director and was recently elected to lead the District Nominating Committee for the next biennium.
Sherri grew up in Waterford, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit and was valedictorian of her class. She earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Biology in 1983 from Hope College in Holland, MI with a double major. She obtained her Ph.D in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Indiana University in 1988.
Sherri began her career in 1988 at Monsanto in St. Louis, Missouri. She and her team developed and launched the first biotechnology projects in corn, cotton, and soybean and those products are grown by farmers on millions of acres around the world today. She has received numerous awards including the Queeny Award for Monsanto’s top scientists, the first ASPB Innovation Award, and Trustee’s Award by the St. Louis Academy of Science.
In addition to her many science and leadership contributions, Sherri developed key programs to build future leaders in the company. She lead the Science Fellows Program, significantly growing the program and creating a vibrant organization of the company’s top scientists to tackle scientific challenges through collaboration and engagement with external scientists and organizations. A sought after coach and mentor, Sherri initiated the Women in Science Exchange, to grow and develop female science leaders and continues to mentor women today.
Sherri retired from Monsanto in 2017 but continues to be involved in innovation in science and agriculture. She was a Managing Director for the St Louis based Yield Lab Accelerator program where she identified, invested in, and mentored innovated early stage companies in the food/agriculture space. Sherri continues to serve on the boards of several companies based around the world. All are agricultural bioscience companies developing innovations aligned with needs in global food security, social responsibility, and sustainability.
Sherri and husband David are the proud parents of two children, Kelsey and Bradley, and love to golf, travel, and spend time with friends. Sherri plays competitively in golf tournaments around the St Louis area and also enjoys travel to tournaments around the US. as a member of the LPGA Amateurs Arch Rivals golf team.
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