Hays, Barbara, 1946-

Barbara Hays was born in 1946 in southern Indiana. She attended Indiana University and Saginaw Valley State University before earning a BA in political science from Central Michigan University in 1986. She also took graduate level courses in public law and political participation at the University of Maryland. She joined the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1975 and served as recording secretary, newsletter editor, chapter delegate to national NOW conferences, and president of the Midland, Michigan, NOW chapter. In 1987, she began working for national NOW, serving as Legislative Liaison (1987-1989), Chapter and State Development Director (1989-2005), and Organizational Development Director (2005-2007). In 2007 Hays left NOW to start Organizational Chemistry, a resource for small non-profits, chapters of larger national groups, independent organizations, or small progressive businesses seeking to improve their productivity, structure, or day-to-day function.