Forward Thinking Finances.

Sonya is a proud graduate of Detroit Renaissance High School and has been the Treasurer of the Board of Education since 2016. Trained as an attorney, she is an experienced finance and real estate professional and currently leads Develop Detroit, one of Detroit’s most prominent community housing and real estate development nonprofits. Under her leadership, Develop Detroit has invested over $65 million in Detroit neighborhoods and was recently highlighted on CBS 60 Minutes. Sonya has overseen the DPSCD transition away from state financial oversight and has pushed for a number of reforms that ensure the District uses its money in the best way possible to support our students and teachers.

Prior to joining the Detroit School Board, Ms. Mays was an investment banker at a international Wall Street bank in New York City. Her investment banking practice focused on debt-capital raising, mergers and acquisitions for the world’s largest construction and industrial companies. Before becoming an investment banker, Ms. Mays spent several years as a non-profit management professional. She began her professional career as a middle- school mathematics teacher in Detroit.

Ms. Mays holds a Bachelor of Science, a Juris Doctor and a Masters in Business Administration, all from the University of Michigan. She is admitted to practice law in New York. In November 2016, Ms. Mays was elected to a four-year term on the Board of Education for the Detroit Public School Community District. 

Her Detroit Public School Community District contributions have included:

• Establishing fiscal policies that led to three consecutive balanced budgets and the creation of a “rainy day” fund, both of which have helped the District avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Overseeing the District’s procurement and contract approval processes, leading to more efficient spending and accountability.

• Promoting the alignment of student achievement and well-being with the annual budgeting process.