Laura Chávez is officially the president of the Southwest Detroit Business Association
On November 9, 2023, during a session of the board of directors, it was unanimously decided to appoint Laura as president. This decision comes after her consistent and impactful support for the organization and the community it serves. We wish her the utmost success in her role.
Below is a biography for those who may not be familiar with her story.
Laura Chávez-Wazeerud-Din worked as the Vice President of Banking for Comerica Bank and AVP at Flagstar Bank. She has always been passionate about helping the BIPOC community. Early in her career, she addressed the shortage of bilingual teachers in the Detroit educational system. To increase the number of bilingual graduates, she pursued her academic career at Wayne State University’s College of Education with a focus on bicultural bilingual support.
Over the past 25 years, she has dedicated her life to strengthening the BIPOC community. From her roles at Southwest Solutions, Mexican Town Community Development Corporation, Henry Ford Health System, Family Assistance for Renaissance Men (F.A.R.M.), and New St Paul Head Start, she has consistently focused on disseminating resources in health, financial education, business basics, and education. Laura has provided free educational workshops and volunteered countless hours, bringing topics such as homebuyer education, neighborhood pride and beautification, legacy building, and lifelong foundations to communities in need. She has also served as a community development liaison and diversity, equity, and inclusion ambassador for previous employers.
In her role as a community leader, she played a significant role in raising awareness about issues in the Hispanic community and creating platforms for change. She recently graduated from Leadership Detroit XLII (June 2022), where she pledged to defend the city of Detroit.
After more than 8 years in banking and being one of the few Latina executives at many conferences, she realized the importance of being a positive example for others. In June 2018, she began the work required to establish the Hispanic Employee Relations Group at Flagstar Bank, which launched on February 15, 2019. She served as Co-President until her departure in 2022. Upon joining Comerica Bank, she immediately began working with her diversity, equity, and inclusion team and was quickly nominated as co-chair of Comerica’s “My People” employee resource group.
Laura serves on several nonprofit boards, including Detroit Chamber Music, W.A.Y. Academy, Bound Together, Michigan Chapter of Prospanica, and Detroit Black MBA. In 2020, Alternatives for Girls awarded her “Role Model of the Year.” Last year, the National Black MBA in Detroit honored her with the “Champaign Diversity Award.”
