Deborah Wright
Encyclopedia
Deborah C. Wright is President
and CEO of Carver Bancorp
, the holding company for Carver Federal Savings Bank. This is the U.S.'s
largest publicly traded African-American operated bank
, with locations in Brooklyn
, Manhattan
and Queens
. Wright was named to this position in 1999 and was honored as "Community Banker of the Year" in 2003 by The American Banker, the financial industry's daily newspaper
. She is also a member of the board of directors
of Time Warner
and Kraft Foods
.
Wright was President and CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone from 1996 to 1999. From 1994 to 1996 she pursued a policy of returning New York City
residential properties to local control as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Previously, Wright was a member of the New York City Housing Authority Board, appointed by mayor David Dinkins
, who also named her to the City Planning Commission. She began her career at First Boston's
corporate finance group.
Beyond her business career Wright is a member of the Board of Overseers
of Harvard University
and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
. She is also involved in missionary activities of the American Baptist Churches. Wright earned her bachelor's
, MBA and law degrees
from Harvard.
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and CEO of Carver Bancorp
Carver Bancorp
Carver Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company of Carver Federal Savings Bank. It is a public company, and notable for being the only black-managed bank on NASDAQ and one of only 11 black-managed publicly traded companies, making it the largest black-owned financial institution in the United...
, the holding company for Carver Federal Savings Bank. This is the U.S.'s
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
largest publicly traded African-American operated bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
, with locations in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. Wright was named to this position in 1999 and was honored as "Community Banker of the Year" in 2003 by The American Banker, the financial industry's daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. She is also a member of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
and Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
.
Wright was President and CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone from 1996 to 1999. From 1994 to 1996 she pursued a policy of returning New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
residential properties to local control as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Previously, Wright was a member of the New York City Housing Authority Board, appointed by mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
, who also named her to the City Planning Commission. She began her career at First Boston's
First Boston
First Boston Corporation was a New York-based, bulge bracket, investment bank, founded in 1932 and acquired by Credit Suisse in 1990. Together with its sister investment banks, it was referred to as CS First Boston after 1993 and part of Credit Suisse First Boston after 1996, the First Boston part...
corporate finance group.
Beyond her business career Wright is a member of the Board of Overseers
Harvard Board of Overseers
The Harvard Board of Overseers is one of Harvard University's two governing boards...
of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital...
. She is also involved in missionary activities of the American Baptist Churches. Wright earned her bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, MBA and law degrees
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard.
External links
- Article on Deborah Wright's appointment at Carver Bankcorp
- Kraft Foods biography of Deborah Wright
- Time Warner biography of Deborah Wright (with photograph)
- Personal reminiscence by Deborah Wright about leaving First Boston
- Black Entrepreneur Profile of Deborah Wright
- Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone