As of July 1, 2015 Gregory Wright has taken on the leadership of Philadelphia’s Charter High School for Architecture + Design as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Wright grew up in Central Pennsylvania, moving to the Philadelphia area in 1995. He is the father of two daughters, with whom he spends most of his free time. Although he has worked in education for over fifteen years, in college he studied communications and public speaking.
Mr. Wright has held several roles in education including teacher, principal, curriculum director, and superintendent. His new role as CEO has the added responsibility of engaging a growing community of supporters — which he considers a bonus. His backgrounds in both education and communication will serve him well at *CHAD:
“It’s an ideal situation for me, I could not be more excited about this opportunity. Of course it’s a professional opportunity, but for me it’s personal, I love every aspect of this work.”
Recently Mr. Wright again took on the role of student when he set himself the challenge of getting his MBA at the age of 42. He refers to this as “the toughest academic thing I’ve done,” but it gave him the real-world skills to manage a charter school in today’s challenging environment.
He feels that donors want to support something that provides tangible results. It is clear that our school gives them value and satisfaction in return for their support, as was obvious at the recent 2015 Champagne Breakfast Gala. “Our success stories become their success stories because their support is essential to our programming,” Wright says.
Of coming to the school upon the retirement of his predecessor Mr. Wright says, “People don’t know how hard it is to build a school, Mr. Kountz came to the school at a pivotal point in the school’s growth. He provided stability for ten years and gave the school a solid foundation.”
Mr Wright’s excitement is infectious: “I’m just getting started and I’m so proud of the school. We have a team ready to move this school to the next level. We have high expectations for everyone involved. CHAD already has a solid reputation but there is always room for improvement. It’s going to be an exciting year.”