Ashley Mays has served as Chief Real Estate and Marketing Officer at Newark Alliance since September 2022, where she is responsible for catalyzing investment and development opportunities in Newark, with a particular focus on the Halsey Street corridor. Mays leads placemaking initiatives with the goal of creating inclusive economic growth and wealth creation. Her passions center on equitable development and leveraging the built environment to support resilient and sustainable communities. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, most recently as Senior Vice President and Head of Leasing of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. At the Yard, Mays was responsible for the oversight of leasing transactional work and top-line performance through the curation of the business ecosystem of advanced manufacturing, tech, and creative companies. Additionally, she developed and executed the organization’s strategies around equitable and inclusive growth, marketing, and amenitziation. Prior to the Yard, Mays held positions as Managing Director, Commercial Leasing, for The Durst Organization, where she supported the firm’s new developments in Queens and Philadelphia, and as Vice President, Leasing, for SL Green Realty Corp, overseeing a 7M square foot office portfolio. She is also an advocate for increasing diversity in commercial real estate, and serves as Vice Chair of the Student Support Sub-Committee on the board of UVA’s Center for Real Estate and the Built Environment. Mays holds an MS in Commerce from McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.