De’Shawn Wright


De’Shawn Wright
Director
Location: NYC Region
Email: deshawn@polihire.com
De’Shawn has spent over 15 years serving in senior leadership roles in the public and private sectors. Before joining POLIHIRE, he served as the Senior Manager for Public Policy at Uber Technologies. Before Uber, he was appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to serve as the Deputy Secretary for Education, the highest-ranking education post in the Executive Chamber of New York State Government. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing and implementing the Governor’s statewide education agenda, overseeing an annual budget of more than $20 Billion and managing the Administration’s collaborations with the State Department of Education, State University of NY, City University of NY and the Higher Education Services Corporation.
Before joining the Cuomo Administration, Wright was appointed to the post of Deputy Mayor for Education in Washington, DC where he created a citywide birth to 24 strategy that includes early education, K-12, post-secondary education. Before those roles, De’Shawn also served as Chief Policy Advisor to then-Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark, New Jersey, and as Policy Analyst for former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. De’Shawn is a graduate of James Madison University and later earned a Master in Public Administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Policy.
Meet the Team
The POLIHIRE team is a group of talented and dedicated professionals who are committed to excellence, accountability, and diversity. With their expertise and passion for identifying top leadership in public-serving agencies and organizations, they have achieved unparalleled success.

Kenyatta Uzzell
Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Nana Perry
Managing Director

James Banks
Senior Director and General Counsel

Brenda Donald
Senior Client Partner

De’Shawn Wright
Senior Director & Advisor

Melanie Bell
Senior Director

Dr. Kamala Uzzell Jones
Director of Search Assessment

Angie Viar
Director

Marcia Thompson
Senior Advisor

Palencia Mobley
Senior Director

Monique Stevens
Senior Consultant

KJ Ward
Director

Sharon Banks
Executive Coach

Leanne Okabayashi
Recruitment and Operations Manager
Advisory Board

Gen. Kip Ward (R)
Advisory Board Member

Stephanie D. Nellons-Paige
Advisory Board Member

Freddie Fuller
Advisory Board Member

Cindy Kupski
Advisory Board Member

Dr. Marc A. Love
Advisory Board Member