Beginning in March, ESI Senior Vice President and Principal Steve Wray will be stepping down from his current role with the firm to serve as Executive Director of the Block Center for Technology and Society at Carnegie Mellon University. Steve has been a great asset to ESI over the past 5 years and an invaluable teammate whom we will all miss.
We are excited to see him take on this new position and look forward to his continued success!
I have some personal news to share. Beginning in March, I will be starting a new role as Executive Director of the Block Center for Technology and Society at Carnegie Mellon University in my hometown of Pittsburgh (and my graduate alma mater). I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the faculty and staff at CMU and the Heinz College and am looking forward to working with the numerous partners and collaborators that the Block Center has built since its creation in 2019. The work of the Block Center focuses on two key pillars – the future of work and responsible artificial intelligence – and I can think of no better time to be diving in on these rapidly emerging issues. The intersection of technology, society and public policy is rapidly changing, and Carnegie Mellon and the Block Center are well-positioned to take a leadership role in developing the solutions that will guide this transformation and ensure that technological change and innovation is a force for social good and inclusion.
While I am excited to return to Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh, it is going to be tough to match the experience I have had in the Greater Philadelphia region. 28 years ago when I came to Philadelphia and joined the Economy League as deputy director and then executive director, I don’t think that I understood that I would have the privilege to work closely with, and learn so much from, the many creative, innovative and passionate leaders that make this region truly World Class. As I learned quickly, there really is something different about Philadelphia. It is a Philly Thing! Thanks to all!
And a huge thanks to the entire team at Econsult Solutions! For the past five years, I have been able to work locally, nationally and internationally with the incredible team at ESI. ESI combines the best of academic research with a practical understanding of economics, government and strategy that is unmatched. Being a part of the team and being able to work with fantastic clients gave me an opportunity to learn and apply my skills in a wide variety of settings. I can’t thank the principals enough – Dick Voith, Steve Mullin, Lee Huang, Peter Angelides, Gina Lavery and Ethan Conner-Ross – for their wisdom, guidance, and partnership. I am excited to see how the firm grows and develops in the coming years.
Steve Wray | Wray@econsultsolutions.com
Over the past five years, Steve’s work with ESI has focused on the development and implementation of programs and projects that support the firm’s vision and short- and long-term plans. He has led the work of the firm’s principals and senior staff in developing new partnerships, expanding and building on existing practice areas, and integrating the firm’s strengths in economic analysis and thought leadership. Mr. Wray joined ESI in 2017 as a director and was promoted to Vice President, Strategic Initiatives in 2019.
