TUCSON, Ariz. ––Doug Wright, a scouting ministry specialist, a former U.S. Air Force officer and president and founder (1980) of Commercial Investors Realty, Inc.® was unanimously elected president of the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation for 2011-2012.
The foundation serves 142,000 young people across Arizona.
Doug's father, Graham P. Wright, was one of the founders of the Arizona 4-H Foundation and was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in October 2010. His father, who passed away in March 2011, was instrumental in establishing and developing the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation (1970) into one of the earliest 4-H Foundations in the nation and introducing 4-H programs to a majority of the 21 federally recognized Native American tribes located in Arizona.
Fund raiser
Wright is in his 17th year as vice president of major-gift and endowment efforts for the Catalina Council, Boy Scouts of America. He held the same position in Area IV, Western Region, BSA since 2006 and is currently the vice president for Area VI, a position he has held since 2008.
Wright says one of his first projects as head of 4-H in the state will be to fund a state-wide camp in northern Arizona.
Wright led the entire Western Region of the Boy Scouts of America during 2009 at both the council and area level in total gifts and largest endowment gift categories. Through Doug's two decades of scouting leadership, his endowment efforts have been instrumental in Western Region Councils of the Boy Scouts of America receiving endowment gifts in excess of $30 million in charitable gifts. He was honored by the Western Region, B.S.A, as of one of the first Glen McLaughlin Award recipients for endowment excellence in 2002 for receiving three consecutive Platinum Record Awards for the Catalina Council (1997-1999) with over $5 million each year in deferred endowment gifts.
On August 15th, 2011, Wright was at the formal launch of the Amachi Partnership in Phoenix, where the Rev. Bob Holliday was named Amachi Coordinator for the Desert Southwest Annual Conference.
Wright is an Eagle Scout (1962) and a Silver Beaver (2001).
“I believe the leadership of this great nation will continue to come from the character-building and mentoring programs that the Boy Scouts and 4-H Clubs offer our nation's youth,” said Wright. “The United Methodist Church will continue to grow exponentially by embracing the scouting ministry specialist program as part of its church youth ministry.”
Real estate career
Wright’s 36-year real estate career began in Florida and includes developing half a dozen major projects such as luxury and assisted living apartments, office and hi-tech R&D buildings, shopping center, and residential subdivision properties. In April 2011, he was elected by his fellow realtors as a 2012 director of the 4,500-member Tucson Association of Realtors®.
Wright has been a member for over seven years on the Public Affairs Committee and helped create the first Commercial Property Purchase Agreement and Lease Agreement forms to be used by association members.
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Doug received his B.S. degree in aerospace engineering. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force and served in Thailand as an avionics maintenance officer. While in service, he participated in a three-year MBA program at the University of Utah and earned his commercial pilot, multi-engine, instrument, flight instructor ratings.
As a member since the mid-1980s of First United Methodist Church in Tucson, Wright founded (2000) and chaired the endowment and investment committees for seven years and he also served on the Stewardship Board of Directors and usher teams for many years. He is a three-year member of the Board of Laity, and was appointed by the bishop as the scouting coordinator for the Desert Southwest Conference.
There are five scouting ministry specialists in the Desert Southwest Conference: Chuck Moyer , Jim Larsen, Thomas Denny, Paul Bridgewaterand Wright .