Amanda Mays is a Senior Advisor for Policy in the CHIPS Program Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she focuses on fostering place-based regional economic development through the growth of vibrant semiconductor industry ecosystems around the country.  Prior to joining CHIPS, Amanda worked in the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains at the U.S. Department of Energy where she led the implementation of IIJA provisions focused on increasing capacity of small- and medium-sized manufacturers and revitalizing former coal communities through new manufacturing investments producing clean energy property.  

Prior to joining the U.S. Government, Amanda served as Senior Advisor to the COO at Empire State Development, New York’s economic development agency, where she led various interdepartmental and intergovernmental initiatives.  Amanda also served ESD as the Western New York Regional Director where she managed the ESD team in Buffalo, NY working to promote economic development practices that both retain and attract businesses and create jobs in the five-county region covering Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties.  

She was also previously Deputy Director of the Executive Office & Assistant Secretary of the Board at The Brookings Institution.  She is a graduate of William Smith College and has a Master of Urban Planning from the State University of New York at Buffalo.