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Sheena Wright

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Sheena Wright
First Deputy Mayor of New York City
In office
January 1, 2023 – October 8, 2024
MayorEric Adams
Preceded byLorraine Grillo
Succeeded byAnne Williams-Isom (acting)[1][2]
Maria Torres-Springer
Deputy Mayor of New York City
for Strategic Initiatives
In office
January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
MayorEric Adams
Succeeded byAna Almanzar
Personal details
Born (1970-01-06) January 6, 1970 (age 54)
SpouseDavid Banks
RelativesTanya Wright (sister)
EducationColumbia University (BA, JD)

Sheena Wright (born January 6, 1970) is an American nonprofit executive and civil servant. She was[3] the First Deputy Mayor of New York City and formerly the president of the United Way of New York City. In August 2021, she was chosen as the chair of New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams's transition team. Wright was named deputy mayor for Strategic Initiatives by Adams on December 6, 2022 and began in January 2023.[4][5][6][7]

Early life and education

Wright is a native of The Bronx, and daughter of Debra Fraser-Howze, an AIDS activist who founded the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.[8][9] She also founded Choose Healthy Life, a network of churches providing coronavirus testing and administering vaccines.[10] Her sister, Tanya Wright, is an actress.[11]

She was educated at the George School in Pennsylvania.[12] She then enrolled at Columbia University and was a member of the school's varsity track and field team.[13] She graduated from Columbia College in 1990 and Columbia Law School in 1994.

Career

After graduation from law school, Wright worked as a lawyer for Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, in private equity firms and served as general counsel for Crave Technologies, a minority-owned software startup.[14]

Wright served as president and executive director of the Abyssinian Development Corporation, the economic arm of the influential Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.[15][16] On April 1, 2013, Wright was subpoenaed to speak with federal prosecutors about her tenure at Abyssinian because of the sale of a townhouse intended for buyers making less than $130,000 to Todd Hunter, son of NBA union executive Billy Hunter, through an Abyssinian subsidiary while Wright was leading the organization.[6] Wright's tenure as CEO and President at Abyssinian has been described in an unflattering light by former employees who note over $500,000 spent on team-building, leadership events and conferences that these employees describe as "junkets or vacations for favored senior staff" to Martha's Vineyard, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.[6]

In 2012, she became the first female head of the United Way of New York City in the organization's 79-year history.[17] As president and CEO of United Way, she has been involved in Hurricane Sandy and COVID-19 relief work.[18] She also led the ReadNYC initiative to support child literacy.[19][20]

In August 2021, she was named by Eric Adams to lead the mayoral candidate's transition team.[4]

Personal life

On January 5, 2013, Gregg Walker, Wright's former husband and then an executive at Sony, called Harlem's 30th Precinct to report that Wright had assaulted him. Both Wright and Walker were arrested, though Wright's charges were dropped the same night while Walker's were not dropped for several weeks.[6][7] It was reported that Wright's family members contacted influential New Yorkers while she was detained, including Reverend Calvin O. Butts, who subsequently contacted Phillip Banks III, NYPD Chief (who later resigned while under investigation) and his brother, Wright's current partner, David C. Banks, all of whom currently serve in the Adams administration.[6][21][22][23][7] Walker’s mother alleges that Wright slapped her in the face, scratched her arm, and pushed her.[6] Phillip Banks III admitted to contacting the 30th Precinct about Wright's arrest after being contacted by his brother, Wright's then-paramour David C. Banks.[7]

She is formerly a trustee of her alma mater, a position she was elected to in March 2021.[24][25]

Wright's current partner, David C. Banks, serves as New York City Schools Chancellor in the Adams administration.[21][22][23] Banks and Wright married in September 2024.[26]

References

  1. ^ "Eric Adams order lays out what happens if Sheena Wright leaves".
  2. ^ "Mayor Adams quietly issues order shifting embattled top deputy Sheena Wright's powers if she's unable to do job – weeks after FBI raided her home".
  3. ^ "Adams's Top Deputy Mayor Resigns, Intensifying Wave of Departures".
  4. ^ a b Anuta, Joe; Goldenberg, Sally. "Adams selects nonprofit executive to head transition team". Politico PRO. Archived from the original on 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  5. ^ Barron, James (2021-11-04). "On the Agenda: 'Get Stuff Done'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Voice, Village (2013-04-17). "The (Very) Earthly Pursuits of Rev. Calvin O. Butts III". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2022-10-22. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  7. ^ a b c d Smith, Greg B. (21 December 2021). "How Eric Adams' Inner Circle Stayed Tight Through Past Arrest and Divorce Mess". thecity.nyc. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  8. ^ "40 Under 40 - Sheena Wright". Crain's New York Business. 2018-07-27. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  9. ^ "Called to Action | Moravian University". www.moravian.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  10. ^ Fadulu, Lola (September 23, 2021). "Washington-area leaders say they're prepared for coronavirus vaccine booster shots". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "Trail Blazer | Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  12. ^ "To Believe Despite the Odds". The New York Times. 2009-12-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  13. ^ "Columbia Athletics Celebrates 25 Years of Women's Sports". Columbia University Athletics. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  14. ^ Finn, Robin (2008-08-22). "Nurturing a New, Yet Old, Vision of Harlem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  15. ^ Williams, Timothy (2008-08-18). "Powerful Harlem Church Is Also a Powerful Harlem Developer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  16. ^ "Rev. Calvin Butts seeks salvation for the church-based organization that resurrected Harlem". Crain's New York Business. 2015-11-20. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  17. ^ "Most Powerful Women - Sheena Wright". Crain's New York Business. 2018-07-17. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  18. ^ "Sheena Wright". United Way of New York City. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  19. ^ "The Power of Diversity: Women 100". City & State NY. 8 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  20. ^ Dishman, Lydia (2017-04-19). "The Uphill Battle Of United Way NYC's First Female President". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  21. ^ a b Goldenberg, Sally; Anuta, Joe. "Meet Adams' inner circle as he lays the groundwork for a potential administration". Politico PRO. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  22. ^ a b "Who will be the next schools chancellor?". www.ny1.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  23. ^ a b Zimmerman, Alex (2021-11-05). "Who is David Banks? The top NYC schools chancellor candidate already has Eric Adams' ear". Chalkbeat New York. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  24. ^ "Sheena Wright | Office of the Secretary of the University". secretary.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  25. ^ "Sheena Wright Named As Trustee of Columbia University". United Way of New York City. 2021-03-30. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  26. ^ McFadden, Alyce; Mays, Jeffery C. (2024-09-27). "Top Adams Aides Get Married as Investigation Swirls Around Them". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-10-05. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
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