William E. Wright was appointed by President George W. Bush to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board in September 2006. Mr. Wright served as interim executive of the CSB from August 2007 until Chairman Bresland was confirmed by the Senate in March 2008.
Immediately prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Wright served for five years as Chairman of the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board. During this period, he worked closely with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment Safety and Occupational Health and with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to safely eliminate various chemical stockpiles. He also worked with Service Secretaries to ensure a strong explosives safety program for the Department of Defense.
Mr. Wright served in the Navy’s Special Operations Explosive Ordnance Disposal community including a major command tour as Commander, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group ONE. He has also been responsible for dealing with hazards ranging from civil war ordnance to chemical and nuclear incidents. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wright served as Head of the Ordnance Branch for the Chief of Naval Operations. He retired as a Captain after having served 30 years in the United States Navy.
Mr. Wright earned his bachelor's degree and Master's of Business Administration from the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Washington). He also earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College (Newport, Rhode Island).
(Term ends September 22, 2011)