First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright currently serves the City of New York in Mayor Eric Adams’ Administration. Wright is focused on advancing the administration’s top priorities with coordination and alignment across government; a top focus for the First Deputy Mayor is to improve service delivery so that all New Yorkers can thrive.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Wright served as Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives in the Adams Administration, and as the Transition Chair for the Adams campaign team. First Deputy Mayor Wright served as the first female President and CEO of United Way of New York City, transforming the organization’s business and impact models. Prior to United Way, First Deputy Mayor Wright served a ten-year tenure as CEO of Abyssinian Development Corporation and built nearly a half million square feet of community facility, commercial and retail space including the completion of construction on the first new high school building in Harlem in 50 years, creating over 1,000 jobs in the process.
Born and raised in the South Bronx, Wright attended Columbia University, where she majored in history and sociology, lettered in varsity track and field and cross country, was President of Delta Sigma Theta, and head of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Black Students Organization. She also co-founded the Pan-African House, a special interest housing community devoted to raising awareness of diversity across the globe, especially apartheid in South Africa. Subsequently, she graduated from Columbia Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar for outstanding academic achievement, marking the start of her legal career at the prestigious Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
As First Deputy Mayor, Ms. Wright was named number eleven on City and State’s NYC Power 100 in February 2023. Wright was also previously named number one on City & State New York’s Nonprofit Power 100, listed in Crain’s New York Business’ Notable Black Leaders and Executives, was appointed Mayor De Blasio’s Education Sector Advisory Council and Governor Cuomo’s New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board. Wright previously served as a Trustee for Columbia University and as a Board Member for New Visions for Public Schools, NYC Kids Rise, and the New York City Regional Economic Development Council.
