SANTA ANA, Calif. – January 27, 2021 – Goodwill of Orange County is pleased to announce the appointment of Gregory Wright, Senior Director, Research & Development at Edwards Lifesciences, to its respected board of directors.
Gregory Wright leads the Tissue Center of Excellence, supports company initiatives, and collaborates with local universities to build the talent pipeline here in Orange County. Wright developed and co-invented Edwards’ next generation tissue RESILIA™, launched KONECT RESILIA, an aortic valve conduit, and has written several other publications and patents. Wright holds a Master of Science degree in Biology, Physiology and Chemistry from California State University, Fullerton.
Wright began a three-year term on the Goodwill Board in December 2020.
Goodwill is also excited to announce its incoming 2021-2022 Board Officers.
- Jim Conner, Audit Partner with Talley, LLP, will serve as Board Chair.
- Laura Dang, Director, Senior Private Wealth Advisor with Union Bank, as Board Vice Chair.
- David Seidner, co-owner of Cardinal Development, will serve as Board Secretary.
- Sarah Stark, Audit Partner with Grant Thornton, as
- John Kearney, Vice President of U.S. Bank’s Orange County market Consumer Banking Group, as Immediate Past Chair.
Officers will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2021.
“Gregory brings a unique expertise that we previously have not had on our Board – one that is needed and will allow us to grow and expand our impact and mission work in the community even further,” said Nicole Suydam, President and CEO, Goodwill of Orange County. “Adding Gregory to our board and announcing our incoming board officers makes me and my team even more energized to tackle new challenges and be innovative and creative in the delivery of our mission work.”
About Goodwill of Orange County
Goodwill of Orange County helps people who are facing barriers find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride and dignity. Since its inception in 1924, Goodwill has supported hundreds of thousands of individuals through quality training and education programs, supportive employment services for people with developmental and physical disabilities, on-site job coaching, community integration programs, veteran employment services, and more. The nonprofit operates a collection of 25 retail venues throughout Orange County, including five OC Goodwill Boutiques and its e-commerce platform shopgoodwill.com, to support these life-changing programs and services. To learn more about Goodwill of Orange County, visit ocgoodwill.org.
