While Joe Wright has held leadership positions professionally and in volunteer organizations, service has remained his focus. Wright will bring that mindset to his new position as Chief Operating Officer at Sheridan Memorial Hospital, a role he began in September.
Wright describes himself as a servant leader, a philosophy in which leaders focus on the growth and well-being of employees and other stakeholders to build stronger organizations.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader,” Simon Sinek wrote in “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t,” one of Wright’s favorite leadership books.
Wright joins Sheridan Memorial Hospital after spending more than 13 years at Kennon Products in Sheridan. He served as the CEO of Kennon for the last eight and a half years and before that as executive vice president. Prior to working at Kennon Products, Wright was business manager and section leader for UPS.
While Wright said leaving Kennon was a difficult decision, the mission of the hospital is important to him. He has served on the Sheridan Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees from 2019 until accepting the role of COO. He is also a past board member for The Sheridan Memorial Hospital Foundation.
“In the end I was interested in the challenge of a new role and in having the opportunity to impact my community in a broader way,” Wright said of his new role. “I have a steep learning curve but am very excited to take this challenge on. I’m probably most excited about getting to know the people at SMH and how I can help them serve our community.”
Wright is a professional engineer, having earned his degree in industrial engineering from Montana State University. He is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Leadership Program through Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
He and his family have been in Sheridan since 2010. His wife, Alyssa, is a nursing instructor at Sheridan College. His son, Austin, is 26 and has special needs. He loves football and Wright said Austin has helped shape the person he is today.
“He’s an inspiration and constant reminder of the power of perspective,” Wright said.
Wright’s daughter, Gabi, is a senior at Sheridan High School. He described her as intelligent and compassionate.
“I’m excited to see the positive impact she makes in the future,” Wright said.
Outside of work, Wright said he loves flying as a private pilot and spending time in the outdoors, including hunting, fishing and an annual pilgrimage into the Cloud Peak Wilderness with his daughter. He also enjoys golf and sports.
In his new role as COO, Wright will oversee facilities, grounds keeping, nutritional services, environmental services, materials and supply chain.
To learn more about the Sheridan Memorial Hospital leadership team, see sheridanhospital.org/about-us/leadership-team/.