Josh Wright, the university’s new chief facilities and planning officer, has a lot on his plate. Named to the position this spring, Wright oversees Facilities Services, Sustainability, Phoenix Area Operations, Tech Parks, Real Estate and Space Strategy and Management in support of the university’s strategic imperatives.

His portfolio recently expanded to include the new Environmental Health and Safety team – part of the university’s new collaboration-centered approach to managing risk. He is also leading the development of a new campus master plan, which will serve as a comprehensive roadmap for the university’s future, aligning land use, facilities, infrastructure, mobility and sustainability with institutional priorities.

The new position marks a return to campus for Wright, who earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree at the U of A. His path to leadership began as an undergraduate, when he served as director of SafeRide, the student-run, free transportation service offering a nighttime alternative to walking alone on campus and in the Tucson community. Wright called that role a microcosm of municipal government work, which was his next career step, noting that his later interactions with city councils and mayors were similar, “just with more zeros at the end.”

Wright spoke with LQP about his move from government work to higher education, his long-term vision for the university’s “built environment” and his excitement about returning to campus.

What brings you back to the University of Arizona at this point in your career?

I’ve always dreamed about working for the U of A again because of the wonderful experiences I had here as an undergraduate and graduate student.

I loved it the first time – the campus environment, the energy from the students, and the amazing research, innovation and creativity happening here every day. I always secretly kept an eye out for something that would be a good fit. 

Changing industries is hard, but when this opportunity came up, I felt ready to do something different. The development, infrastructure and problem-solving nature of this work really appealed to me – and in a place where I already felt comfortable and connected. I’ve also been extremely impressed by the team here and by the direction President Garimella and his leadership team are taking the university. 

The stars aligned at the right moment, and I’ve been extremely happy to be back.

You’ve described your job as overseeing the university’s ‘built environment.’ What does that mean to you?

I think it’s important to look at what we do more holistically than just facilities. That’s certainly a big part of my role – overseeing the team that maintains, designs and constructs our buildings and grounds – over 19 million gross square feet of built space statewide. Everything we work on – things you can see and touch – exists to support our research and academic missions. We’re not the goal in and of ourselves; we support everything that happens here.

I look comprehensively across all our units and how we contribute to quality of life, a high-quality experience, a supportive atmosphere, and a physical environment that helps the institution thrive. A lot of my time is spent thinking about space, real estate, safety, future needs and how we manage these assets in the best possible way as a single, unified institution.

What is the overarching goal of the campus master plan, and where are we in the process?

The Campus Master Plan is required by the Arizona Board of Regents. It’s meant to translate the university’s strategic imperatives into what the physical landscape of the Tucson campus should look like. How do we turn academic excellence, research excellence and community engagement into a built environment?

It’s important to me that the process be inclusive. We’ve updated our project website, and we’ve already engaged with a number of campus partners – academic and non-academic. We’ll continue that in the coming months. We want broad understanding and buy-in because this plan helps determine the future of the university.

Our goal is to complete it in the spring of 2026 and then take it to the Arizona Board of Regents later that year. And we really encourage people to share their thoughts – whether it’s about how the campus is built, transportation, mobility or how people move around. All of that is incredibly important.

What role will sustainability play in the university’s short- and long-term planning?

Sustainability is something we’re looking at broadly. There’s the immediate, obvious piece – environmental sustainability – and the U of A has long been a leader in that area, from energy consumption to water use. There’s a lot of active research and a lot of work happening here.

Our Office of Sustainability, led by Trevor Ledbetter, is heavily involved in the master plan. His team is helping lead the project to make sure every recommendation or initiative is viewed through a sustainability lens.

But sustainability also means our staying power as an institution. This was Arizona’s first university and, in my mind, the cornerstone of our state’s education system. It’s an anchor of the Tucson and statewide economies. We want to focus on how we maintain that position, make mindful decisions and ensure the university is economically stable and sustainable over the long run.

How did your experience with SafeRide shape your leadership approach?

I can’t overstate how important that first opportunity at SafeRide was. I met my wife there – we’ve been married 20 years – so that alone changed my life. But professionally, it was my first taste of so many things we take for granted in leadership: preparing budgets, handling IT issues, fleet maintenance, HR challenges and public relations.

It ended up being almost a microcosm of what I did for the next 19 years in municipal government with city councils and mayors – just with more zeros at the end and higher visibility.

It also gave me a certain kinship with the mission of serving the greater good. It crystallized for me that whatever career path I took, it needed to be about serving others. And SafeRide has saved or positively impacted countless lives since 1981. I’m proud to be a small part of that history.

What is something about you – hobbies, interests, outside passions – you’d like the university community to know?

I’m a total nerd and I love learning, so working on a college campus is perfect for me. I’m close – in air quotes – to finishing my doctorate. I just need to finish my dissertation. It’s something I always wanted to accomplish as a bucket-list goal.

Outside of that, I’m most proud of my family. My wife, Melissa, and I are die-hard Wildcats. Even before moving back, we visited campus every year, went to the Campus Store and spent way too much money on all kinds of fun things. We’re a U of A household through and through.

We have two children, Caleb and Hannah, who are growing up fast. I love watching them take on their own challenges, and I hope someday they’ll become part of the Wildcat family as well. We’re definitely an active family with sports, activities and school – that’s the main driver of my time outside work right now.