Jim & Elaine Wright - 2007 Citizen of the Year

By Mary Lewis
Elk Grove Citizen
October 12, 2007

“Jim and Elaine Wright should have been named as Citizens of the Year many years ago, for their contributions to the Elk Grove community have been continuous ever since they chose to come here to live in 1961,” read one nomination letter.

Both Wrights worked as a team on many Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce activities, such as Street Fairs, business mixers and repairing the lights for the community Christmas tree.

Both are on the Rhoads School board where Elaine is treasurer and Jim opens the schoolhouse for classes every week and does maintenance around the school as well.

Both are active in the Elk Grove Historical Society, in fact Elaine served as president in 1994 and continued to serve as membership chair until recently. Jim has spent many hours helping with yard work and maintenance on the Elk Grove Hotel & Stage Stop Museum.

Jim was also a volunteer fireman with the Elk Grove Fire Department when the department was almost entirely made up of volunteers. He has also been a longtime member of the Elk Grove Lions Club.

Elaine is past president of Soroptimist International of Elk Grove and Soroptimist International of Rio Cosumnes (twice), past president of the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce and still a member of the Chamber Ambassadors, current member of the Senior Center of Elk Grove board as well as current director and past president of the Cosumnes Community Services District.

Both Jim and Elaine have received the annual Chamber Service Award. Elaine has been Chamber Ambassador of the Year twice, and the Elk Grove Citizen named her its Woman of the Year for 2006.

And in future CSD parks, there’s one earmarked the Jim and Elaine Wright Park, located in East Elk Grove.

The family came to Elk Grove when Jim went to work for Citizens Utilities Co., where he stayed for 30 years as the company grew from a tiny phone service to a huge communications system. Elaine has worked for several local businesses, including Dr. Melvin Bell, dentist; First Security Bank of Elk Grove (now River City Bank), Elk Grove Water Works, California Waste and Edward Jones Investment Co.

The Wrights are parents of three: Steven, Marlene and Marilyn, all of whom graduated from Elk Grove High School and live in the area with their families.