HOMECOMING COURT PROFILE

Ashley Hays was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL (yes, she’s a Jaguars fan through thick and thin) and earned her degree in Marketing and International Business from Florida State University (yes, she’s also a Seminole through thick and thin). After college, she returned to Jacksonville to obtain her MBA from the University of North Florida and begin her career in banking. She started as a Credit Analyst for the Commercial Group and has remained on the commercial side of the bank. She is currently a Portfolio Manager Team Lead in the Middle Market group at SouthState Bank in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She moved to South Florida in 2014 to further her career and experience life outside of Jacksonville.

In addition to working, she enjoys scuba diving, the sun, reading, and being social. She is a bit of an adrenaline junkie and will try just about anything at least once. She is fulfilling a bucket list trip by doing a 3-day great white shark cage dive off the coast of Mexico in early September. She also believes in giving back and has a long history of volunteering with various organizations, including HANDY. She was introduced to HANDY in the summer of 2020 and has been involved with the Scholar’s Breakfast ever since. She currently serves as Chair of the Scholar’s Breakfast and was nominated to this year’s Homecoming Court. She is excited to continue her involvement with HANDY and continue spreading awareness of this amazing organization.