Chandler City Manager Josh Wright speaks during a 2024 meeting. Wright announced May 29 he’s resigning Aug. 1 to take a management position with the University of Arizona.
The University of Arizona has announced Josh Wright as its new chief facilities and planning officer the same day Wright announced he’s stepping down as Chandler’s city manager.
In a pair of news releases, the university and the city each made announcements May 29. Through the city, Wright announced his last day with Chandler will be Friday, Aug. 1.
“It has been one of the highest honors of my career to serve the city of Chandler with ethics, integrity, professionalism and empathy,” said Wright, “The more than 1,800 ‘Team Chandler’ employees are among the finest public servants with whom I have ever worked.”
Wright came to Chandler as an assistant city manager in mid-2017 after more than five years as the CEO of the town of Wickenburg. He was named acting city manager when Marsha Reed retired in the spring of 2021, and after a national search for a permanent replacement, was named city manager in August of that year.
The university said Wright’s full title will be leader of “facilities services, sustainability, and space strategy and management.”
The university has almost 800 buildings. Many are in the Tucson area though those facilities are in a total of 27 cities, according to arizona.edu. There’s a university logo on a building in downtown Chandler, not far from City Hall.
Wright grew up in the Valley, but the Phoenix Country Day School alum went to the University of Arizona for his undergrad and master’s of public administration degree. He stuck around in the Tucson area to work for the town of Marana for a few years.
“This is more than a professional milestone, it’s a homecoming,” Wright stated in the university’s release. “The U of A helped shape my career, and I’m honored to return and contribute to its bold future, to enhance the physical spaces and systems that empower students, faculty and staff to succeed. Together, we’ll deliver forward-looking, sustainable facilities that reflect the university’s values and meet the needs of our campus community and the state of Arizona.”
Wright's contract called for him to be paid about $341,000 for this year. He would have made $374,000 in the last year of his contract, which ends June 30, 2026.
Officially speaking, the Chandler city manager oversees the city’s day-to-day operations of the city of Chandler and implements policies adopted by council. It’s one of four positions appointed by council, along with the city attorney, city clerk and presiding magistrate.
During Wright’s tenure, the city states, the city took advantage of some prosperous times, getting voter approval for a $272 million bond package in November 2021, paying off its public safety pension obligations, started construction on its first new affordable public housing developments in decades, made plans to replace expensive aging infrastructure and supported a $30 billion expansion of Intel Corp.’s manufacturing facilities in south Chandler.
The city also crafted and made law its first nondiscrimination ordinance, passed a controversial backyard chickens ordinance and, with council’s direction, continued to support homelessness support and diversity programs.
Wright’s departure occurs as his name and job title have been a focus at some 2025 council meetings. Not only is he named in at least one lawsuit by a council member, he also took heat for not calling out some charter alignment problems publicly.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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