Jacky Wright, Vice President of Microsoft IT Strategic Enterprise Services, Joins Year Up Puget Sound Board

Jacky Wright, Vice President of Microsoft IT Strategic Enterprise Services, joins Year Up Puget Sound's Board of Directors; Year Up Puget Sound Continues to Expand

SEATTLE, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Demonstrating her commitment to helping local young adults access professional careers in IT and communication technology, one of the most distinguished business leaders in the region recently joined the Board of Directors for Year Up Puget Sound: Jacky Wright, Vice President of Microsoft IT Strategic Enterprise Services at Microsoft.

"Jacky is a trailblazer in the technology industry and a strong advocate for women and minorities in this sector," said John Stanton, Year Up Puget Sound Board President. "Her decades of technical and business experience will be indispensable as we continue to close the Opportunity Divide for our students while closing the skills gap for local employers."

"Year Up is truly effective at helping young women and men gain sustainable careers in technology," said Wright. "I'm excited about helping the program continue to grow and educate even more young adults about what they can accomplish."

Lauded by President Barack Obama for its proven approach, Year Up is a national nonprofit organization that provides an intensive education and job-training program for urban young adults, ages 18-24. Year Up Puget Sound students gain technical and professional skills, with a focus on communication technology, and participate in a six-month internship at top companies like REI, Google, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, JPMorgan Chase and Liberty Mutual. Nationally, 84 percent of Year Up students who successfully completed the one-year program are employed or attending college full-time within four months of graduation, earning an average starting salary of $30,000/year.

"There are more than 15,000 young adults in the Puget Sound region that do not have access to livable-wage careers or higher education," said Stanton. "The Year Up Puget Sound Board of Directors will continue working to help these disconnected young adults reach their full potential by providing them with the training and skills that employers are looking for."

Year Up Puget Sound opened its doors in March 2011 and continues to rapidly expand. It will serve twice as many students in the summer of 2012 than in 2011 and has signed agreements with new corporate partners, including Zillow, that look to Year Up for access to a pipeline of skilled, entry-level talent.

As Vice President of Microsoft IT Strategic Enterprise Services, Wright oversees Microsoft's IT Enterprise Services and Platform. These services range from SAP, AX, and process services such as Quality & business Excellence and Supplier Management. Before assuming her current role at Microsoft, Wright was VP/CIO of Corporate Function at BP, where she led all IT strategy, development and implementation for BP's Corporate, Alternative Energy, and Shipping segments, as well as Mergers and Acquisitions.

The Year Up Puget Sound Board of Directors is composed of the top business and community leaders in Washington: John Stanton (chair), founding member and Managing Partner of Trilogy Partnership; Robbie Bach, former President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division; Rich Barton, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Zillow; Phyllis Campbell, Chair of the Pacific Northwest Region at JPMorgan Chase; Deb Horvath, founder of Horvath Consulting LLC; Sue Rahr, former Sheriff of King County and Director of Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission; Norman B. Rice, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Seattle Foundation and former Seattle Mayor; Jon Runstad, co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wright Runstad & Company; Judith Runstad, attorney at Foster Pepper PLLC; and Jacky Wright, Vice President of Microsoft IT Strategic Enterprise Services.

About Year Up Inc.
Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 1,500 students a year at sites in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Providence, San Francisco Bay Area, the National Capital Region, and Puget Sound (Seattle). To learn more, visit www.yearup.org or www.youtube.com/yearupinc.

SOURCE Year Up Inc.

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