Tony Hayes is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Indian Economic Development Initiative, Inc. A statewide Economic Development and Indian owned business growth agency for North Carolina Indians, serving all eight tribes and four tribal organizations. He has been in executive management for 20 plus years with large corporations such as Duke University and Starwood Hotels Worldwide, Inc. Tony is also the Tribal Chairman of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation Indian Tribe and sits on several boards of directors and advisory committees. Tony has been featured in several business publications around the country for management innovations and initiatives in the Print Management, Mail media and Fulfillment arena.

Tony resides in Creedmoor NC and is active in various county/community leadership initiatives. Tony attended University of Miami and Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach Florida and majored in History/Pre-law. A proud North Carolina native who lives with his wife, Sandra and has two daughters, two stepsons, two grandsons and granddaughter. Tony is an avid runner and golfer and is very strong proponent of healthy lifestyles and exercises for the body and mind. Tony is committed to the betterment of young people, especially North Carolina Indians, professionally intellectually, spiritually and culturally.