Mayor Hays, a native of North Little Rock, graduated from North Little Rock High School in 1965.  He has been married to Linda Hays for over 26 years.  Linda, a retired elementary school teacher, taught school for over 36 years. They attend Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, and are members of the Fraser Sunday School Class.  Their daughter Josie and son-in-law Dr. Brent Staggs have three grandchildren; Savannah, age 6; Isabella, age 4; and grandson, Harper, age one week.

Mayor Hays was educated in Political Science and Law at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He practiced law in North Little Rock from 1973 until 1988, when he was elected to his first four-year term as Mayor. Mayor Hays is now serving his fifth term.

Prior to becoming Mayor, Hays served as an Assistant City Attorney for North Little Rock for several years.  He was elected State Representative for District 66 and served in the 76th (1987-1988) Arkansas General Assembly. Hays was also elected as the City of North Little Rock's delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention of 1979-1980. He attained the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Mayor Hays is a member and Past President of Metroplan, the regional council of local governments for central Arkansas. He is Past President of the Arkansas Municipal League. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Active for many years in the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor Hays was elected to the Conference’s Advisory Board in 1996 and in 1999, he was elected as a Trustee. As one of 13 Trustees, Mayor Hays shares in the executive and policy-making responsibility for the Conference. In addition, he serves as a Vice Chairman of the Energy Committee. Mayor Hays is also on the Board of Directors of ICLE USA/Local Governments for Sustainability.

Mayor Hays has been a member in good standing of Big Rock Masonic Lodge # 633 for over 35 years and was elevated to the 33 degree of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in 2004. Hays became a member of the Scimitar Shrine Temple of Little Rock shortly after achieving his 32 degree in Freemasonry in 1975.

While a law student, Hays was elected to serve as President of the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association representing all law students in the United States. After being admitted to the Arkansas Bar Association, Mayor Hays served as a national officer of the American Bar Associations Young Lawyers Section. In addition to being licensed in Arkansas, Mayor Hays is authorized to practice in Federal Courts in both Arkansas and Texas, and also the United States Eight Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mayor Hays represents Arkansas cities serving on the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Advocacy Committee of the National League of Cities.

Mayor Hays is a recognized leader in community economic development, neighborhood revitalization, community-oriented policing, historic preservation and recreation development.