SHERRI COOK BIOGRAPHY
SHERRI COOK, CMP, CMM, CTM, CL
Sherri Cook, CMP, CMM, CTM, CL is a strategic business consultant with over 35 years of accomplished business acumen as a strategic thinker, project manager, detailed planner, adviser, communicator, ambassador, facilitator, and best practices advocate.
Sherri is the founder, CEO & President of Sherri Cook & Associates, LLC (“SC&A”). SC&A’s mission is to be “Simply the Best” in project, event, and meeting/trade show management since 1992. From serving as Project Manager for Ross Perot, Sr.’s conventions in 1995 and in 1996 while running for U.S. President to long-time clients such as Sikorsky Aircraft, End Stage Renal Disease and Bristow Group, Sherri is well-versed to help organizations complete their projects successfully while maximizing revenues and minimizing costs in marketing, business development, sales, and growth. An average cost-savings for her event negotiations is 20% with $250,000 savings for one client program. Prior to founding SC&A, Sherri served in key account management for American Express, led event planning for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and MCI Planners for 10 years and spent several prior years in restaurant management.
Sherri has been an active member of Meeting Professionals International for 29 years and was named MPI Global’s first “Tomorrow’s Leader of MPI” in 1995, an organization of over 24,000 members worldwide. Additionally, she was named MPI D/FW Chapter’s 2018 – 2019 “Planner of the Year” with 9 prior nominations, served 4 terms on the MPI D/FW Chapter Board of Directors with approximately 1,000 members and won the Spirit Award in 2016. Having demonstrated her continued service and leadership, she was a finalist for the Colleen Rickenbacher Leadership Award in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and Chapter Leader in 2009. She has also been an active member of SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) for 6 years. Sherri’s been included in the Who’s Who Worldwide Registry and Lexington’s Who’s Who for many years. She has served 8 years on Homeowner Association Boards and performed HOA project management.
As a strategic business consultant, Sherri has extensive experience working with clients in a broad spectrum of industries. She works with her clients to develop a focused strategy to achieve desired project goals and measurable objectives and translates them into actionable tasks and timelines. She also ensures clear and concise processes and procedures are followed to meet expectations for deliverables and deadlines, all in an efficient manner bringing significant value to the bottom line.
Her approach is action; budget and results-oriented while clarifying collaborative ideas and building strong client, customer, vendor, and employee relationships. She is a tenacious negotiator with ingenuity, finesse and moxie in her extensive project management and contract expertise. Sherri’s analysis of situations and trouble-shooting skills are exceptional along with risk management assessment and implementation.
Credential-wise, Sherri is a Certified Meeting Professional, Certified Meeting Manager Competent Toastmaster, Competent Leader, Certified Convention and Trade Show Manager and Certified Tour Director.
A frequent speaker on industry issues, Sherri has spoken on a variety of topics some of which include: “Ross Perot’s Project Management”, “Expert Meeting Planning Panel”, “Negotiation”, “Ethics”, “Food & Beverage Planning”, “Outsourcing” and as an Expert Planner on various panels.
She developed training materials for Richland College’s 2-year accredited Travel and Tourism program as part of her two-year MPI-Richland College Consultant Grant Project.
As an expert in her profession, Sherri’s clients and vendors describe her as knowledgeable, capable, energetic, positive, reliable, diligent, relentlessly persistent, conscientious, and savvy. The satisfaction of achieving projects “success” is what motivates Sherri. The word “no” is not in her vocabulary when it comes to accomplishment and completion. Clients and suppliers alike advise, “If you want someone to get the job done and done right, Sherri is the person to make this happen for you.”
Sherri graduated from Kansas State University with a B.A. in Spanish, lived abroad for two years studying Spanish including Graduate work. She has traveled throughout Europe and Central America as well as parts of South America and Asia. Foreign exchange student programs are a passion having years of experience hosting exchange students.