Personal Data
Commissioner Deb Hays is a professional member of the real estate community, and is a committed civic leader, actively involved in local, state, and national committees. She was awarded Realtor® of the Year in 2012, and the Hall of Fame award in 2020.
Deb has a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University, IBM Masters Program; and has experience as a Bank Officer, College Financial Aid Director, and longtime corporate employee of IBM. She was chosen as one of twelve members of NC Realtors® to participate in the first year-long leadership development program, Leadership/NCR and is a 2010 graduate of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Wilmington program.
She is actively involved in several community organizations, including Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry (WARM) and Lump to Laughter. She has built over 20 Habitat homes, as well as 10 houses in Guatemala on a mission trip, participated in the rebuild of post-hurricane New Orleans, and served on the Community Leaders Task Force for housing, renovation, and rebuild post-hurricane Florence.
Her greatest accomplishment is her daughter Morgan, an honors graduate of Laney High School, North Carolina State University, both undergraduate and graduate schools, and her two beautiful and adorable granddaughters. Second only to them is her dog, a sweet little rescue Carolina Brown Dog named Derby.
She is passionate about her community, her commitment to its quality of life, and she welcomes the opportunity to contribute back and make what is great even better.
New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Representative
- Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority/WAVE Transit
- New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority
- Southeastern Economic Development Commission
- Southeastern Partnership Inc./Economic Development
- Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Community Involvement
- WARM Board of Directors
- Former Chair of the City of Wilmington Planning Commission and member of the City of Wilmington Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee
- Chair Wilmington Downtown, Inc. Board of Directors
- Former member of Airlie Gardens Foundation Board of Directors
- Longtime Committee Chair for the NC Azalea Festival
- Former Chair and Commissioner of the Wilmington Housing Authority and Housing Economic Opportunities
- Former Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors member
- Past Chair for Lump to Laughter