Wright played a leading role in creating an educational counseling program for wounded U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, which eventually earned him the recognition of "Person of the Week" on an episode of "ABC World News with Charles Gibson" in May of this year.
Brett explained that a few of the Council's members brought Wright's work with veterans to the board's 53 members and that the spot on ABC solidified his standing as a frontrunner for the award.
"When you look at past recipients, you see that President Wright is in very distinguished company," Brett said.
Brett added that all of the Council's honorees have deep roots within the New England community.
"I think it's a great recognition of the good work that he's been doing with our wounded servicemen and servicewomen," Vice President for Alumni Relations David Spalding '76 said. "He's been incredibly low key about this, and I think it's great that the New England Council recognized his good work."
When asked about the importance of the president's distinction in light of the current climate of alumni politics, Spalding stressed the unifying impact of Wright's accomplishments.
"I think it's always good when our alumni can unify around the strength of Dartmouth ... as they are unifying around President Wright's service."
Wright will be honored at the Council's Annual Dinner on Oct. 1 in Boston, where approximately 1,300 people will be on hand as he receives the award.
The New England Council bestows this distinction on three individuals each year -- one from the realm of politics, another from the business world and a third that falls in flex category. Wright falls into this third grouping and succeeds last year's honoree, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
Wright, along with the two other New Englanders of the Year, was selected from a pool of 24 names, which was submitted to the council during the winter. Brett said all three winners were selected by unanimous decisions.
The New England Council is composed of leaders in business, education and nonprofit organizations from the six states that make up the region. The Council focuses on industries that drive regional economic growth including education, technology, health care and financial services, according to the Council's website.
The last figure from the world of education to be honored with the distinction was Evan Dobelle, former President of Trinity College, who was named New Englander of the Year in 1999 for his work developing the area around Trinity and Hartford.
Wright was not available for comment at press time.
