Laura Chevez-Wazeerud-Din
Board Member, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
President & CEO, Southwest Detroit Business Association
The Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA) recently named Laura Chavez-Wazeerud-Din as its news president and CEO following her previous role as the nonprofit’s vice president of Programs and Compliance.
“Knowing Laura’s passion, resilience and deep commitment to our community, I am certain she will continue to guide our organization to unprecedented heights,” says Tonia Patino, chair of the board of the SDBA. “She has not only earned this appointment through hard work and merit but has consistently demonstrated a profound understanding of our mission, strategic vision for the future, and our community’s rich, diverse cultural history.”
As president and CEO, Chavez-Wazeerud-Din is responsible for overseeing the organization’s growth plan. This will involve creating, implementing, and monitoring strategies that foster the development and advancement of the community and business.
Additionally, she will act as the representative of the organization at various levels — local, regional, and national, engaging with stakeholders, participating in relevant forums, and advocating for the interests of the organization and community across different geographical scales.
Chavez-Wazeerud-Din also will work to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of the SDBA’s three primary service areas — community and economic development — strategies and initiatives aimed at improving the community’s well-being and fostering economic progress as well as business development initiatives to support the growth and success of local businesses, and real estate development that oversees projects and activities related to real estate that contribute to the area’s growth and prosperity.
“I am incredibly grateful for having the support of our dedicated staff and board and am inspired by this exciting new chapter at the Southwest Detroit Business Association,” says Chavez-Wazeerud-Din. “I look forward to forging new paths and partnerships, fostering organizational growth while making lasting impacts for our stakeholders within the community.”
Prior to joining the SDBA, Chavez-Wazeerud-Din spent more than 12 years in the banking industry, holding leadership positions including vice president, Comerica Bank in Southfield; assistant vice president of Sales at Citizens Bank in Ypsilanti.
Chavez-Wazeerud-Din serves on the boards of various nonprofit organizations, including Detroit Chamber Music, W.A.Y. Academy, Bound Together, Michigan Chapter of Prospanica, and Detroit Black MBA. Her contributions have earned her notable recognitions, including: a 2023 Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Community Advocate of the Year Award; 2023 Ilitch
Foundation Hispanic Heritage Month Game Changer Award; a 2023 Clement Kern Award for Social Impact Honoree; a 2022 Diversity Campaign Award from the National Black MBA of Detroit; and a 2020 Role Model of the Year Award recipient from Alternatives for Girls.
Chavez-Wazeerud-Din graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a Bachelor of Arts degree in bilingual/bicultural education. She resides in Romulus with her family.