De'Shawn Wright Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

Newark, New Jersey, Us

San Francisco, California, Us

Advised public officials and nonprofit executives on matters related to strategic management, operations, communications, and public policy. Provided interim leadership in key functional areas upon personnel transitions.◊ Workforce Restructuring | Operational EfficiencyActed as de facto Chief of Staff to direct new superintendent’s strategic roll out of merger between team of consultants and cabinet, including finance, operations, and talent. Orchestrated significant staffing changes and aligned team integration with strategic plan. Resulted in reduced silos, empowered cabinet, and improved performance outcomes.◊ Strategic Planning | Stakeholder EngagementDirected strategic planning process to transition New Jersey’s largest school district from state to local control. Engaged strategic planning firm, then conducted focus groups with educators, principals and partners around core priorities. Resulted in broadly-endorsed plan that paved the way for full empowerment of local school board.◊ Process ImprovementLaunched turnaround effort to streamline universal enrollment system which had experienced significant challenges in year one, including public relations crisis. Organized district and charter leaders to adopt shared processes and communications strategy. Resulted in dramatically smoother system in year two, with revitalized public support.

Albany , New York , Us

Served as senior education official, implementing Governor’s education agenda and crafting annual budget of ~$40B to the Department of Education, State and City University, and Higher Education Services Corporation. ◊ Change Management | Stakeholder EngagementImplemented first statewide teacher and principal evaluation system, ensuring compliance across 691 school districts. Engaged superintendents’ offices and was involved in negotiations with unions, offering financial incentives, and rolling out public engagement campaign. Resulted in first state to achieve 100% school district participation. ◊ Strategic PlanningConvened blue ribbon commission of public and private sector leaders to create a blueprint for educational excellence and propose reforms. Resulted in $100M in competitive grants to school districts to launch innovative new programs in pre-K, extended learning, and STEM initiatives.

Washington, Dc, Us

Oversaw education portfolio consisting of DC Public Schools, State Superintendent Office, Public Charter School Board, University of DC, and DC Public Library. Led 10-member staff and oversaw ~$1.3B annual budget.◊ Process Improvement | Operational EfficiencyCharged with remediating 5-year old consent decree to better steward special education services including transportation and provider payments. Partnered with internal and external stakeholders to develop and lead plan for appropriate resource allocation. Resulted in full autonomy from federal oversight and savings of $70M. ◊ Stakeholder Engagement | Strategic PlanningSpearheaded cross-sectoral partnership entitled “Raise DC” to augment services for children pre-natal to early career. Established council of city officials and external providers to develop roadmap for procurement and distribution of financial and human resources. Resulted in reduced silos, enhanced spirit of collaboration, and clear social ROI for external funders.

Newark, New Jersey, Us

Served as counselor to the Mayor on public policy and philanthropy. Facilitated donor solicitations resulting in $100M in charitable contributions to fund education and youth development initiatives. ◊ Operational Efficiency | Workforce RestructuringLed comprehensive review of city operations to correct organizational inefficiencies. Conducted analysis of cabinet, agency and personnel performance, then made recommendations for organizational, portfolio, and leadership restructuring. Resulted in an aligned workforce prepared to execute on the Mayor’s priorities.

Co-founded $20M education fund supported by the Gates Foundation and other philanthropic partners to increase quality public school options. Managed human capital, new school development, and real estate investment portfolios.◊ Strategic PlanningDesigned and managed the new school development strategy to support emerging leaders. Resulted in the creation of 5 high performing public schools serving 2,500 students.

Newark, New Jersey, Us

Led public policy as a senior leader in the Mayor’s cabinet. Directed inter-agency initiatives and served as the administration’s liaison to governmental, philanthropic, and corporate partners. ◊ Operational Efficiency | Workforce RestructuringChallenged with overhauling the financially constrained health and human services division. Convened executive council to assess organizational functions, capacity, infrastructure and assets. Resulted in the creation of a consolidated agency that maximized resource coordination with state and county partners.

New York, Ny, Us

Spearheaded policy and structural reforms in the organizational redesign of the nation’s largest school district. Designed policies and systems to increase school leader autonomy and accountability for student outcomes. ◊ Change Management | Stakeholder EngagementDevised school finance, staffing, enrollment, and operations policies to achieve the Chancellor’s goal for smaller, tailored learning environments. Resulted in the creation and sustainability of ~100 new small schools serving over 50,000 students.

New York, New York, Us

Charged with developing performance indicators, setting targets, and monitoring outcomes for the Department of Sanitation, Department of Consumer Affairs, and Taxi and Limousine Commission. ◊ Operational Efficiency | Change ManagementRevamped annual Mayor's Management Report to better inform the public about city agency performance. Resulted in better resource allocation and agency outcomes as measured by performance targets hit and customer satisfaction.

Education record

Master Of Public Administration - Mpa, Public Policy And Administration

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mass Communication And Media Studies