Sonya Mays

Sonya S. Mays is the President and founding CEO of Develop Detroit – a real estate and housing development nonprofit that executes significant housing and revitalization projects throughout Detroit. She previously served as Senior Advisor to the Emergency Manager of Detroit, Michigan. In her role as Senior Advisor, Mays played a key role in guiding the city through the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. She was responsible for a diverse range of legal, financial, operational, land use and economic development activities across Detroit’s restructuring efforts.
Prior to joining Emergency Manager, Mays was a Vice President in the Global Industrials Group in Deutsche Bank’s Corporate & Investment Bank Division in New York City. Before attending graduate school and becoming an investment banker, Mays spent several years as a non-profit management professional in Chapel Hill, NC. She began her career as a middle-school math teacher for the Board of Education in Detroit.



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