Ursula Wright

Ursula is a seasoned tri-sector executive with a longstanding commitment to advancing economic mobility and improving academic and life outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities. As Chief Strategy Officer at Eckerd Connects, she leads the organization’s strategy refinement process and long-term planning efforts.

Ursula is widely recognized as a systems thinker and strategist with deep expertise in designing and scaling initiatives that drive measurable, community-centered impact. Prior to joining Eckerd Connects, she served as a Senior Vice President at WestEd and a member of the executive leadership team, overseeing a division of over 300 people dedicated to bridging policy, research, and educator practice across the K–12 landscape.

Before her tenure at WestEd, Ursula co-led the Education and Youth practice at FSG, where she facilitated large-scale systems change and collective impact efforts across the country. She also served in the Obama Administration as the appointed Deputy in the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education. In that role, she directed policy efforts for major place-based and school improvement initiatives, including Promise Neighborhoods, Promise Zones, the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program, and the Race to the Top – District program. She also oversaw the federal Charter Schools Program and contributed to key interagency and White House initiatives.

Ursula began her social sector career at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS), where she played a central leadership role in transforming the organization from an early-stage start-up into a nationally respected advocacy voice. Earlier in her career, she built foundational skills in strategy, finance, operations, and marketing in the corporate sector.

Her commitment to strengthening communities extends to her board service, including roles with the Center for the Study of Social Policy, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, Achievement Preparatory Academy, and the Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Ursula holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She has also completed executive education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.