W. DeWayne Wells

Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan
Executive Director

DeWayne has served as Executive Director of the Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan since January 2018. He brings to his role over 25 years of experience working with Michigan community-based nonprofits as a Board or staff member. As President of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan from 2008-2013, DeWayne led the organization’s operational and programmatic expansion during the Great Recession. As Project Director for the Detroit Food and Fitness Collaborative from 2013-2017, DeWayne coordinated community engagement and advocacy activities supporting improved food access in Detroit and more equitable local, state, and federal agriculture and nutrition policies. He has also held senior management positions at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Starfish Family Services.

DeWayne is a lifelong Detroiter and proud graduate of Detroit Public Schools. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Western Michigan University and a MBA from Wayne State University. DeWayne is a graduate of Leadership Detroit IX, Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program and Harvard University’s Strategic Perspective in Nonprofit Management program. DeWayne currently serves as a Board member for Fair Food Network, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, St. Joseph Oakland Hospital, Trinity Continuing Care, and Southwest Solutions. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, traveling to new places, and attending outdoor jazz concerts.