Darnele Wright, who has spent more than a dozen years as UC counsel in roles at UC San Francisco and the UC Office of the President, will become UCSF’s next chief campus counsel and vice chancellor of legal affairs.
At UC Legal, Wright oversees the largest group of attorneys spanning several distinct practice areas which, through reorganization and recruitment, has grown from 15 to 30 in four years under her leadership.
The team handles many issues – such as procurement, finance, intellectual property, investments, charitable giving, real estate, construction, land use, tax, and trusts and estates – that are important to UCSF’s day-to-day activities.
“Throughout her career, Darnele has worked strategically to gain experience in the breadth of legal issues that are important to academic institutions and health care,” said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS. “At UCOP she distinguished herself as someone who could partner across campuses to tackle complex, emerging issues ranging from intellectual property management to artificial intelligence. I am looking forward to having her join my leadership team.”
From Innovation to AI
Wright is a member of the University of California’s Senior Management Group and the General Counsel’s leadership team.
During her tenure at UCOP, she supported the Regents’ Special Committee on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and led the implementation of several of the committee’s recommendations. She also chaired and convened UC Legal's AI Task Force, disseminating valuable systemwide guidance to internal stakeholders.
I have sought to foster collaboration by listening, communicating, and lending my skills to help solve problems with empathy, diplomacy, and respect.”
“Darnele is a strategic thinker and trusted leader whose contributions have shaped key systemwide initiatives,” said General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs Charlie Robinson. “She brings vision, expertise, and an unwavering commitment to UC’s mission. I’m proud to support her in this next chapter and look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role.”
At UC Legal, Wright guided her team in adopting new technologies and making processes more efficient, while also working to retain team members and recruit new ones.
“I have sought to foster collaboration by listening, communicating, and lending my skills to help solve problems with empathy, diplomacy, and respect,” she said. “I’m so proud of my group. The hardest part of my decision is leaving this team.”
Formative years at UCSF
Before moving to UCOP, Wright served for more than seven years as deputy campus counsel at UCSF under Greta Schnetzler, who is retiring in May after 20 years.
It was a time of tremendous growth for the university, and Wright worked on a broad range of issues and complex business transactions involving innovation, domestic and international research activities, university governance, and education.
She had a role in negotiating such high-profile agreements as the affiliation with Gladstone Institutes, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and the Laboratory for Genomics Research.
Wright also places great value on family life and community engagement.
She has dedicated many hours to organizations that foster leadership for youth, support victims of domestic violence, and combat food insecurity, such as the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the Junior League, and the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Before coming to UCSF, Wright was assistant general counsel at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.
She begins her new job at UCSF on May 19, reporting both to Chancellor Hawgood and General Counsel Robinson.