Mike Hamra

Michael Hamra is the president and CEO of Hamra Enterprises which develops, owns and operates Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Panera Bread bakery-cafes and Noodles and Company restaurants spanning from the Midwest to the Northeast. Hamra Enterprises also has successfully raised over $2 million to support its community partners including the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Illinois, the Children’s Miracle Network in Missouri, Children’s Boston Children’s Hospital, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, St. Jude’s Hospital and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks.

Mike practiced law in Washington, D.C. from 1994 to 2001. He was the director of governmental and regulatory affairs for Metricom, Inc. Prior to joining Metricom, Mike was an attorney in the Washington, DC, office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. where he represented telecommunication clients on regulatory and legislative matters. From 1994 to 1997, Mike served in the United States government and served two years as the chief of staff and legal advisor for the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Prior to that he served in the Clinton Administration as a political appointee and was special counsel at the U.S Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information. Prior to his political appointment he was legislative counsel for the U.S. Senate, Office of the Sergeant of Arms.

Mike is also a director of Oakstar Bank based in Springfield, Missouri, and serves as the chair of Family Enterprise. He is a member of the ALSAC/St. Jude Professional Advisory Board, Young Presidents Organization; Boston Children’s Hospital Philanthropic Board of Advisors; and an elected trustee of Wendy’s National Advertising Program. He is a recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for Superior Federal Service and recognized as a Boston Business Journal’s 40 under 40. He also has been awarded the first Entrepreneurship Award from the University of Missouri School of Law.

Mike received his BA from Ohio Wesleyan University, his JD from the School of Law at the University of Missouri and his MBA from Kennesaw State University.