As Director for the Office of Business Opportunity for the City of Houston, Carlecia D. Wright leads a City Department that ensures diverse businesses have fair access to and active participation in Houston’s procurement program. In this mayoral-appointed role since April 2011, Carlecia has implemented a proven three-pronged approach – transparency, efficiency and innovation – to provide a seamless, easy- to-navigate operation that supports the City’s procurement process, along with the development of business development programs for small businesses that strengthens them structurally, operationally, financially and competitively.
Under Carlecia’s focused and strategic direction, the City of Houston’s highly ranked program has awarded nearly 25,000 contracts totaling $1.2 billion dollars to diverse businesses, and has become a model for cities around the country. Among other historic and innovative firsts, she garnered unanimous City Council approval to revise contract and procurement policy, and created Hire Houston First, the largest local procurement preference program in Texas and launched TweetMyJobs Houston, an online platform that has connected more than 20,000 individuals to 100,000-plus jobs.
A 16-year veteran of public service leadership, Carlecia’s commitment to economic and community development excellence is evidenced in the long-term impact she’s also made beyond Houston’s borders. Starting her service, after college as an Americorps NCCC Team Leader in San Diego, California where she worked on service projects in Education, Environment and Community Development throughout the Western Region of the United States. Early in her career, Carlecia was instrumental in the transformation of the Brooklyn landscape by gathering support to change land-use and zoning regulations from community and business stakeholders, along with the approval of five independent governing bodies. During her tenure with the City of New York’s Small Business Services and Housing Preservation and Development departments, she worked closely with executive leadership in both departments on organizational priorities, strategy, change management and key policy initiatives; in 2006 she received the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize, which honors aspiring and emerging leaders in New York City government, because of her role in converting several failed properties that were city owned into viable tenant owned properties; and for her role in identifying city budget savings that turned a $14 million deficit into an $8 million gain for New York City.
Carlecia has received several local and national awards for her achievements, including the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 professionals’ recognition and Breakthrough Woman from the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce. She has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College of Chicago and a master’s degree from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. She is a graduate of the city of New York’s Leadership Institute, the Center for Houston’s Future, Leadership Houston and a Senior Fellow for American Leadership Forum.
An active community volunteer, Carlecia works with several organizations that support women, including My Legacy Foundation and Dress for Success. She serves on the University of Houston’s College of Education Dean’s Advisory Council, sits on the boards of various chambers of commerce and acts as president of her daughter’s school’s Parent Action Committee.
A native of Illinois, Carlecia is the wife of Philip Wright, Jr. and mother of Kaomi.
