During the annual state meeting of the Arizona Republican Party, Dr. C. T. Wright, the President of the Fountain Hills Unified School Board received the prestigious Governor Howard Pyle Award. He was honored for his local, state, national and international contributions to society. This illustrious award was presented to him by Governor Janice K. Brewer and Randy Pullen, Chairman of Arizona’s GOP.

Upon accepting the award, Dr. Wright stated, “It is with honor and humility that I accept this high honor. What a surprise, a well kept secret.” He went on to say, “… it is suffice for me to say thank you for bestowing this honor on me.” The citation reads:

THE GOV. HOWARD PYLE AWARD IS NAMED AFTER ONE OF ARIZONA’S FORMER ELDER STATESMAN AND HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH WILL NOT GO UNREMEMBERED. SUCH ARE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT. HE HAS SPENT HIS LIFE MENTORING, SPIRITUALLY GUIDING AND HELPING THE LESS FORTUNATE. HE IS THE FIRST VICE-CHAIR OF ARIZONA’S AFRICAN-AMERICAN REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE AND THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN ELECTED TO OFFICE IN FOUNTAIN HILLS. HE WAS NAMED CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE INT’L FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION AND SELF-HELP, A GLOBAL ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVES IN AFRICA AND AROUND THE WORLD. HIS MOST RECENT EFFORT IS RELIEF AID TO HAITI. I’D LIKE TO QUOTE CLYDE BOWEN, CHAIRMAN OF AAARC., WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT,. HE SAID OUR RECIPIENT “IS A MORAL COMPASS, GOD PLACED HIM ON EARTH TO LEAD.” IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR TO PRESENT THE GOV. PYLE AWARD TO DR. C. T. WRIGHT.

Dr. Wright, a senior statesman himself has traveled to some 75 countries and met with scores of heads of state and corporate leaders while serving as President and Executive Director of the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help - IFESH. Before relocating to Arizona, this Boston University Ph.D., served as President at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s oldest historically African American University; Provost at Florida Memorial University, Assistant Provost, at Eastern Washington University; and Vice President at Talladega College. In recent years, he established The Light of Hope Institute and Christians Teaching Wisdom.

Over the years, Dr. Wright has served as President of the Peoples Investment Fund for Africa, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the African Business Network, President of the Arizona African Society, Board of Directors of IFESH, Vice President of Fountain Hills Fountain Hills Kiwanis Club, President of the Spokane, Washington Branch of the NAACP and Chairman of the Miss Black Collegiate Pageant. He has also been a gubernatorial appointee to the Washington State Public Broadcasting Commission, Arizona Council on Faith and Community Initiatives, Goodwill Ambassador for his home state of Georgia and Senior Advisory to the Commission on Arizona African American Affairs. For the past three years, he has served as a member of the Arizona delegation to the Federal Relations Network of the National School Boards Association.

In addition to the Governor Howard Pyle Award, Dr. Wright is the recipient of the Calvin C. Goode Lifetime Achievement Award, Judge Jean Williams Community Service Award, Leon H. Sullivan Humanitarian Self-Help Award, among others. He and his wife MARY WRIGHT reside in Fountain Hills.