2000 Man of the Year - James Wright, Business Rep. Carp. & MW's Local #319
James was born July 21, 1945 in Daleville, Virginia to James A. and Mildred Wright, the second of four children.
In 1963, he met Wanda Murphy and they married eighteen months later on October 21, 1964. They have two children, Melissa Wright, who resides in Roanoke City and Sherry Mayhew who is married to Lee Mayhew and resides in Troutville, Virginia. He has one granddaughter, Lauren Renee Mayhew.
Along with raising two daughters of their own, Wanda and James helped raise two nephews, one of them being a proud Union member of Sheetmetal Workers Local #100, and have, over the years, taken in thirteen (13) other young people to care for and live in their home.
James' first introduction to the "Union" was in May 1965 when he went to work at the Dupont Plant in Martinsville, Virignia as a Millwright Apprentice working through the then Millwright Local Union #2070. After completing his apprenticeship in 1968, he served on every negotiation committee for both Millwright and Carpenter's, and has done so even to this date.
From 1968 - 1979 James held a number on the Executive Board of Local #2070 and in March of 1979 was eleted to the position of Business Agent/Financial Secretary Treasurer of that same Local. In 1983, due to a merger of the Millwrights Local #2070 and Carpenters Local #319 he was appointed by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters to the Business Agent/Financial Secretary Treasurere's position of the new Carpenters & Millwrights Local Union #319; a position that he sill holds today. Also in 1983, he assumed the position of Financial Secretary Treasurer of the Southwestern Virginia Building & Construction Trades Council, another position that he still holds to this day.
In April 1990 through March 1993, he served as a part-time International Representative to then General President, Sigurd Luccassen, over the Cmpaign against BE & K Construction for the State of Virginia.
James has served on the Executive Board of the State Builiding Trades and is a Trustee for the Southwestern Virginia Carpenters Health & Welfare Pension Funds. He has held many other positions and continues to serve as a Delegat to many other Union affiliated programs in the area. James received the 1995 COPE Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Roanoke United Central Labor Council and continues to volunteer time, effort and unity for many of his Union Brothers and Sisters.