VMP Covergirl - Sherry Campbell
This week’s VMP Covergirl is……Sherry Campbell!🎉
Meet Sherry — bold, vibrant, and completely unapologetic about living life to the fullest with her signature “positive mental attitude.” With a career that spanned nearly four decades in leadership at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, she’s spent her life not only breaking ground, but lifting others along the way.
Today, she’s still doing exactly that. Whether she’s mentoring women, exploring new places, or bringing her signature mix of confidence, humor, and edge into every room she enters, Sherry is proof that relevance, vitality, and impact just get better over time. And if you’ve met Sherry you can feel this immediately. She lights up any space she enters.
I love that we were able to capture the many dimensions of who she is: the strength, the playfulness, the wisdom, and the unmistakable presence of a woman who knows exactly who she is…. In other words, ICONIC.
Here’s what she had to say about this time in her life…
💎 Did you have any older female role models when you were younger?
Other than my mom who continually said, “Put yourself out there”. I didn’t have those other female models as a child or young adult.
As a young professional, I was a technical writer at Westinghouse when I was accepted into what was the first professional women’s networking group in Pittsburgh—Executive Women’s Council. I was a younger, less experienced (lucky to be accepted) member and I soaked in every bit of advice from each of those doctors, professors, financial investors, engineers and executives as mentors.
My first encounter was asking a corporate executive her opinion of whether I should accept a job offer from HUD. Her reply, “You’re a damn fool if you don’t”. Best advice ever! HUD was my 39-year career.
Extrapolated—take the risk—no, embrace the risk.
Moreover, her advice was direct, straightforward, and not softened
It was in that wake-up call moment that I knew the power of women helping women, the power of words, and how one woman can greatly influence the life of another woman.
💎 How did you mark turning 50? How did that feel to you?
I’m not thinking about it too much—just doing what I always do. To me, it’s not about age; it’s about attitude; about how you live; how you embrace growth, face challenges, and fully accept opportunity; and, about how you continue to engage and inspire others.
Side story: When I was a 16-year old intern at the New Castle News, I worked in the advertising department. A sales rep had taped a piece of paper with three bold letters in black magic marker to his rotary telephone receiver—PMA. I’ve never forgotten what it meant: Do it now with Positive Mental Attitude. Been my mantra ever since.
Last year, I was commencement speaker at my alma mater, Slippery Rock University, My address was based on that theme.
💎 What advice would you give your younger self?
You are smart enough; stop comparing yourself; don’t hold back; be confident; say what you think.
Retrospectively, and as advice—NOW—is the time of your life. Live it; love it; share it. YOU are the one to whom others are looking, comparing; own it and help.
💎 Do you feel like you've changed since you've turned 50?
If anything, I’ve become more confident in my appearance. I’ve become more comfortable just being and not feeling like I have an image to maintain. For decades, I dressed to impress —to be the boss, wear the suit to be taken seriously in a man’s world.
Aging happens. It’s time to really let out the internal beauty; yet, I still want to be as youthful in appearance as I can be and match my appearance with my energy with a bit of attitude, sass, and edge.
💎 What positives have come from being over 50?
Confidence manifests through accomplishment and recognition for accomplishment.
Expanding networks of friends.
Freedom from fear of being good enough, smart enough….enough.
💎 Do you have any goals or projects you're working on? What dreams do you have for the future?
Keeping friendships vital and continuing to:
add value to organizations and projects I think are important,
be a helper,
be a mentor —particularly to women,
learn, stay strong, healthy and relevant, and
travel and grow intellectually.
💎 What is your best advice for other women who are coming up on turning 50? What do you 'know' now?
The road ahead of you is long and beautiful, filled with joys and delights you haven’t even thought of. Love yourself; believe in yourself and in possibility.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Stay strong and healthy so you can reach back to help and leap forward to embrace new friendships and experiences.
Travel!!!! It will keep you learning and growing.
Your fears that it’s over—whatever it is—are way overblown.
Allow —Allow yourself all the time you need to rest; Allow yourself to believe in possibility, to be healthy and bring new experience into your life.
Practice the art of allowing; It vanquishes fear.
💎 What do you most want people to remember about you?
Sherry’s a strong, confident woman. She’s fun to be with and life is more fun when she’s around. Sherry is a friend’s friend. I can count on her.
💎 Why are beautiful photos important to you right now?
I see this photo opportunity in two important ways. First, to be a time capsule —rolling the decades into one moment in time —showing the witty, playful Sher, the confident executive, the triumphant survivor, and the loyal friend, daughter, sister, aunt, life partner who was shaped by their love.
And, second, I see this as an opportunity to continue to feel relevant and to be a platform for future opportunity.
Congratulations Sherry! It’s an honor to help you celebrate YOU, your strength and your journey! 🎉
If you’re ready to be elevated and celebrated in your own 50over50 experience, let’s make it happen.
Our FINAL 50over50 Exhibition will be held November 5th, 2026. There are just a couple of spots left to be featured in this second, and final, 50over50 Exhibition.
This is your time to be seen, valued, and celebrated - beautifully and unapologetically. You can see more information here: 50over50 Project. Join us!
