Shay Hawkins
Shay Hawkins
The Co-Founder and CEO
Before co-founding the Opportunity Funds Association, Shay Hawkins was the Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Energy , Natural Resources, and Infrastructure and the senior tax and economic policy advisor to Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a Senate Finance Committee Member.
Shay served as Senator Scott’s lead policy advisor throughout the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). During the legislative process, Shay was the driving force behind the Opportunity Zones provision working with House and Senate Conferees, the White House, and other key stakeholders to ensure its inclusion in the final package. Since enactment, Shay has worked with Treasury to develop implementing regulations for Opportunity Zones that will rapidly deploy capital into distressed urban and rural communities. Shay got his start on Capitol Hill as Legislative Fellow to Representative Jim Renacci, (R-OH 16) where he was part of a team of tax attorney’s that developed a comprehensive tax reform plan.
Prior to coming to Capitol Hill, Hawkins spent five years as an investment banker at what is now Results International. While with Results International, Hawkins focused on sell-side Mergers and Acquisitions for firms in the Technology, Media, and Telecoms sector.
A native of Cleveland Ohio, Shay started his career as a broker in the online division of what is now Credit Suisse. He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from The Ohio State University, his MBA from Columbia Business School as a Credit Suisse First Boston Fellow, and his JD from the Moritz College of Law at OSU.
Shay served as Senator Scott’s lead policy advisor throughout the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). During the legislative process, Shay was the driving force behind the Opportunity Zones provision working with House and Senate Conferees, the White House, and other key stakeholders to ensure its inclusion in the final package. Since enactment, Shay has worked with Treasury to develop implementing regulations for Opportunity Zones that will rapidly deploy capital into distressed urban and rural communities. Shay got his start on Capitol Hill as Legislative Fellow to Representative Jim Renacci, (R-OH 16) where he was part of a team of tax attorney’s that developed a comprehensive tax reform plan.
Prior to coming to Capitol Hill, Hawkins spent five years as an investment banker at what is now Results International. While with Results International, Hawkins focused on sell-side Mergers and Acquisitions for firms in the Technology, Media, and Telecoms sector.
A native of Cleveland Ohio, Shay started his career as a broker in the online division of what is now Credit Suisse. He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from The Ohio State University, his MBA from Columbia Business School as a Credit Suisse First Boston Fellow, and his JD from the Moritz College of Law at OSU.