Dr. Donna Wright is a nationally respected education leader, former superintendent, mentor, and advocate with more than 40 years of experience in public education. Her career spans teaching, school leadership, district administration, and executive development, with a consistent focus on strengthening schools and supporting the people who lead them.
Dr. Wright served for seven years as Director of Schools for Wilson County Schools, just outside Nashville, Tennessee, and was named the 2020 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year. Weeks after receiving that recognition, she led her district through an F3 tornado that severely damaged two schools, followed closely by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those experiences deepened her expertise in crisis leadership, communication, resilience, and community trust.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Wright led a large comprehensive urban high school at a time when only 12 women served as principals among Tennessee’s 236 secondary schools. Today, she serves as Lead Superintendent for the AASA National Women’s Leadership Consortium, mentoring women leaders nationwide, and teaches graduate courses in educational leadership. Her work examines the systemic barriers that affect who is encouraged, selected, supported, and retained in executive roles.
A passionate champion of public education, Dr. Wright speaks candidly about women in leadership, the changing role of school boards, the lasting effects of the pandemic, and the need to rebuild trust with families and communities. She believes the next generation of education leaders must be adaptive, ethical, and inventive, and courageous enough to redesign systems around the needs of students and educators.
Find Dr. Donna Wright:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drdonnawrightd7
