Donald J.
Wright
Former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania; former acting secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Donald J. Wright is a physician, public health expert and former diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from 2020 to 2023. As ambassador, he led a team of more than 600 and managed an $800 million budget, overseeing key U.S. initiatives in health, economic development and security.
Dr. Wright brings extensive leadership experience from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor, where he served in roles including acting assistant secretary for health and acting executive director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. He directed major national public health initiatives such as Healthy People 2020 and the National Action Plan to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infections and has published on topics including patient safety, healthcare quality, health disparities and healthy aging.
Before joining the government as director of the Office of Occupational Medicine at the U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) in 2003, he was a clinician in Texas for 17 years in the areas of family medicine and occupational health.
Dr. Wright holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine and earned a Master of Public Health from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He was recognized by the American College of Preventive Medicine in 2019.