James Wright is responsible for providing institutional support and technical capabilities necessary to execute NASA’s aeronautics, human exploration and operations, and science missions. Wright leads NASA programs and management operations including: strategic infrastructure; facilities engineering planning, design, and construction; master planning and asset management; environmental compliance and restoration; procurement; human capital management; and, other cross-agency support programs.

Prior to being appointed to his current position, Wright was Deputy Assistant Administrator for NASA’s Office of Strategic Infrastructure and Director of NASA’s Facilities Engineering and Real Property Division. He returned to NASA from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, where he served as Chief Engineer, Director for Capital Improvements, and Director for Environmental Programs.

Earlier in his career, Wright was Associate Director for Payload Processing and Chief of the Environmental Program Office at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He served as a project manager for facilities design and construction projects throughout Western Europe with the US Army’s Fifth Signal Command in Germany, as a refinery engineer at Exxon Company USA’s Baton Rouge Refinery, and as a marine biologist at the Grice Marine Biological Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina.

Wright received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive from both NASA and Department of Navy. He was also awarded the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership and the Kennedy Space Center Equal Opportunity Award.

Wright holds bachelor’s degrees in both mechanical engineering and marine science from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston, and a doctorate in environmental biology from George Mason University. He is a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.