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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][3]
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)
Philip Banks III (brother-in-law)
Terence Banks (brother-in-law)
EducationColumbia University (BA, JD)

Sheena Wright (born January 6, 1970) is an American nonprofit executive and civil servant. She served[4] as the First Deputy Mayor of New York City and was previously the president of the United Way of New York City. In August 2021, she was appointed chair of New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams's transition team. On December 6, 2022, Adams named her Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives, a role she assumed in January 2023.[5][6][7][8] Wright later resigned amid investigations into the Eric Adams administration.

Early life and education

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Wright, a native of The Bronx, is the daughter of Debra Fraser-Howze, an AIDS activist and founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.[9][10] She also established Choose Healthy Life, a network of churches dedicated to providing coronavirus testing and administering vaccines.[11] Wright’s sister, Tanya Wright, is an actress.[12]

Wright attended the George School in Pennsylvania[13] before enrolling at Columbia University, where she was a member of the varsity track and field team.[14] She graduated from Columbia College in 1990 and later earned her law degree from Columbia Law School in 1994.

Career

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After graduating from law school, Wright worked as a lawyer at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. She also worked in private equity firms and served as general counsel for Crave Technologies, a minority-owned software startup.[15]

Wright served as the president and executive director of the Abyssinian Development Corporation, the economic arm of the influential Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.[16][17] On April 1, 2013, she was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors regarding her tenure at Abyssinian, specifically concerning the sale of a townhouse—intended for buyers earning less than $130,000—to Todd Hunter, the son of NBA union executive Billy Hunter, through an Abyssinian subsidiary.[7]

Wright's leadership at Abyssinian has faced criticism from former employees, who alleged that over $500,000 was spent on team-building and leadership events, including trips described as "junkets or vacations for favored senior staff" to destinations such as Martha's Vineyard, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.[7]

In 2012, Wright became the first female president and CEO of the United Way of New York City in the organization’s 79-year history.[18] During her tenure, she was actively involved in Hurricane Sandy and COVID-19 relief efforts.[19] She also led the ReadNYC initiative, aimed at improving child literacy.[20][21]

In August 2021, Eric Adams appointed Wright to lead his mayoral transition team.[5]

She served[22] as the First Deputy Mayor of New York City but resigned amid investigations into the Eric Adams administration.

Personal life

[edit]

On January 5, 2013, Gregg Walker, Wright's former husband and an executive at Sony at the time, called Harlem's 30th Precinct to report that Wright had assaulted him. Both Wright and Walker were arrested; however, Wright's charges were dropped the same night, while Walker's charges were not dropped for several weeks.[7][8]

During Wright's detention, her family reportedly contacted influential New Yorkers, including Reverend Calvin O. Butts, who reached out to Phillip Banks III, then NYPD Chief (later resigned while under investigation), and his brother, David C. Banks, Wright's current partner. All three now serve in the Adams administration.[7][23][24][25][8]

Walker’s mother alleged that Wright slapped her, scratched her arm, and pushed her.[7] Phillip Banks III admitted to contacting the 30th Precinct about Wright's arrest after being approached by his brother, David C. Banks, who was Wright's partner at the time.[8]

She previously served as a trustee of her alma mater, a position to which she was elected in March 2021.[26][27]

Wright's current partner, David C. Banks, serves as the New York City Schools Chancellor in the Adams administration.[23][24][25] Banks and Wright were married in September 2024.[28]

References

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  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. ^ "Executive Order 45".
  4. ^ "Adams's Top Deputy Mayor Resigns, Intensifying Wave of Departures".
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "Called to Action | Moravian University". www.moravian.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Trail Blazer | Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Sheena Wright". United Way of New York City. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  20. ^ "The Power of Diversity: Women 100". City & State NY. 8 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Adams's Top Deputy Mayor Resigns, Intensifying Wave of Departures".
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ a b "Who will be the next schools chancellor?". www.ny1.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "Sheena Wright | Office of the Secretary of the University". secretary.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  27. ^ "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.
  28. ^ 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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