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Gov. Gregoire appoints Anthony Wright to lead Puget Sound Partnership

For Immediate Release: July 6, 2012

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today appointed retired Army Corps of Engineers Col. Anthony Wright to lead the Puget Sound Partnership. Wright is currently a vice president at Normandeau Associates, a consulting firm specializing in environmental issues, and will be taking a leave of absence to serve as director of PSP.

�I thank Normandeau Associates for graciously loaning Tony, and appreciate Tony�s willingness to serve in this role,� Gregoire said. �Tony�s experience is wide-spread � from project management, to business development and finding pragmatic solutions to difficult problems. He has led numerous environmental projects throughout the region. He is a proven leader and relationship builder who shares my passion for restoring Puget Sound. These are all attributes that are necessary to effectively lead the Puget Sound Partnership. I welcome him to the agency, where he will be a tremendous asset.�

Prior to joining Normandeau Associates, Wright served as district engineer and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District, where he oversaw more than $2 Billion in construction projects, including ecosystem restoration, dredging and levees. In that position, Wright led the development of interim measures to restore the flood storage capacity of Howard Hanson Dam.

�I am honored and excited to be able to help in the restoration of Puget Sound, and looking forward to joining the team.� Wright said. �The Sound needs our help, and together with the Federal, Tribal and local stakeholders we can make a difference.�

Wright has extensive military experience � serving as human resources director for engineer officers in the entire U.S. Army from 2006-2007. Wright was also an Engineer Battalion Commander in Iraq and at Fort Riley, Kansas, and served in a variety of other positions in the United States and overseas.

Wright is a former board member of the PSP�s Ecosystem Coordination Board.

�The Puget Sound Partnership has important work to do,� Gregoire added. �And I am committed to pushing for progress. To ensure that the Puget Sound clean up efforts continue to receive the attention they deserve, I am also elevating the Partnership to my Cabinet. The scope of the challenges facing Puget Sound today require the close collaboration among the state agencies fostered by participation in the Governor�s Cabinet.�

The Puget Sound Partnership was created in 2007 to pull together citizens, governments, tribes, scientists and businesses to restore and protect Puget Sound to ensure both a thriving Puget Sound economy and a clean and healthy ecosystem.

�The Puget Sound Partnership has been given a tough task,� Gregoire said. �I thank Gerry O�Keefe for his work over the past year to lead this agency. He has thrown his heart and soul into the work of the Partnership, and I wish him well.�

Wright will start as director July 23rd, earning an annual salary of $137,304.