Her Story
About Star
Star Sherry is a highly accomplished Information Systems Technician Manager and Information Systems Program Manager holding a Top Secret/SCI security clearance. She brings extensive experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense missions across information systems, communications, spectrum operations, and satellite planning. With a career spanning more than two decades in high-security, mission-critical environments, she has developed deep expertise in managing complex technical systems, leading cross-functional teams, and ensuring operational effectiveness across enterprise and tactical networks.
She currently serves as the Spectrum Operations and Testing Manager for the Spectrum Advanced Training Technologies Laboratory (SATTL), where she leads electromagnetic modeling and simulation efforts in support of the Department of Defense. In this role, she oversees verification and validation testing of spectrum systems, plans testing scenarios and events up to 18 months in advance, and plays a key role in building and developing the laboratory from the ground up. As the facility is still in its early stages, she is actively involved in acquiring and integrating new systems, refining operational capabilities, and shaping the long-term vision for lab growth and modernization.
Her expertise lies in electromagnetic spectrum operations, encompassing radio frequency technologies such as Wi-Fi systems, radar, communications networks, and satellite operations. Prior to her current role, she served 22 years on active duty in the United States Navy in information systems technology and electromagnetic spectrum operations, followed by work as a subject matter expert in the field. She later served as the government lead for the Navy’s electromagnetic spectrum program at the Navy Information Warfighting Development Center. She has worked in this domain since 2002, consistently contributing to the advancement, security, and resilience of critical defense communication systems.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Star
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success absolutely to the strong females in my family who helped raise me. My kids are also a big part of that. I've been a single mom pretty much almost their entire existence, and I know that kind of seems cliche, but it's true. We're just wanting to do things for them and being the person that they can be proud of. Obviously you want your kids to look up to you and see value in what you do and who you are.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is simple: put the work in. There are no shortcuts or easy substitutes for time and effort. If you want to achieve something meaningful, you have to be willing to dedicate yourself to the task and execute the grind day after day.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Persistence. Definitely persistence and be yourself. Be persistent in being authentically yourself. When I joined the military, it wasn't the best culture for females. Obviously, it's got a lot better as the 22 years have progressed. I'll never forget when I first got to my first ship, this guy had said to me, I literally had just checked on board right from school, and he said, are you going to be a bitch or a slut? From that moment on, I think this has always been in me, I was always authentically myself. And I always tell people, be authentically yourself, don't try to be somebody else. Be that strong woman. There's been many times that I've had a very strong personality and I've been in rooms with all men, because honestly, the STEM field is very still male-dominated, and sometimes I am the loudest one in the room. And that's okay. I'm not going to be everybody's cup of tea, and that's fine. I can look in my mirror and say I was authentic to myself, I was true to myself, I thought I did what was right. There's some times where I say something and it gets completely ignored, and the guy literally next to me says something and everyone thinks it's a great idea, and I'm like, I just said that. So definitely be persistent. Be persistent in that, don't give up just because of one event or one room or one job. You will find the people who appreciate you. Be authentically yourself and it will work out when it's supposed to. It's okay to color outside the lines. It's okay to not be part of that groupthink mentality. But I've always told everybody I've mentored, just know your stuff. Don't be the person just talking to talk. When you speak, make sure you know what you're talking about. I love this quote, I think it's Teddy Roosevelt or Franklin D. Roosevelt, but one of the Roosevelts said something about be quiet but carry a big stick. Speak when you need to, and when you do, make sure it's impactful and you're saying the right things and you're armed with the information. Do your homework.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some of the biggest challenges, and I guess it's kind of a little bit of both, is how fast the field is growing. It's a challenge and it's an opportunity. There's opportunities to grow and build with organizations, or systems, or programs, and really make a mark. But then there's the challenges of everybody's kind of jumping into this, so the competition is definitely getting a little bit more challenging too.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are probably work ethic, always being the hardest-working person in the room. I try to live by that. And really just try to do the right thing. Be a good human. I think the thing I value most is to treat others how you would want to be treated. Be a good human and be empathetic.
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