Subject Matter Expert

Dr. Alexandria Wright has over a dozen years’ experience in economic development and entrepreneurial education, having begun her career in Arizona, with the Small Business Development Center at Coconino College and further as Director of the Regional Economic Development Center at Yavapai College, where she oversaw the expansion of the Small Business Development Center to provide technical assistance across an 8,000 square mile region establishing five satellite offices in partnership with neighboring Tribal Nations, local libraries, and municipal Economic Development Divisions.   In her role as director for community college Economic & Workforce Development Divisions, Dr. Wright has designed and implemented various corporate training and registered apprenticeship programs, facilitated the expansion of adult education programming to include workforce development, and has successfully partnered with USDA to establish a rural small business incubator and microloan fund in northern Arizona.  She specializes in regional economic and workforce analysis, strategic planning and performance metrics, economic impact analysis, sustainable economic development planning for Tribal Nations, and rural economic development.  In her roles, she has regularly provided economic and workforce profiles to local economic development departments, Tribes and Workforce Development Boards.  She publishes in the field of Sustainable Development and Regional Sciences including economic indicators, policy, & planning.  Dr. Wright has an Extended B.S. in Economics, a M.A. in Public Policy, and a Ph.D. from the School of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University.