Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors have successful, tenured careers in the agriculture and vegetation management industries as well as philanthropy efforts. The Wright Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation was founded to leverage their united passion for create sustainable and renewable practices that reduce environmental risk to our communities. They are dedicated to finding solutions to the complex issues we face today in order to make the world a better place today and tomorrow.

Scott D. Packard has been in the tree care and environmental services industry for over 22 years. The chairman and CEO of Wright Service Corp., Scott joined the company in July 1998 and was appointed to his current position in 2002. He held a number of executive positions prior to joining the executive leadership team at Wright Service Corp. Scott is involved in various industry organizations including the Tree Care Industry Association, International Society of Arboriculture and Utility Arborist Association.

Scott has been active in various non-profit organizations, including the American Red Cross, Trees Forever, and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a past chairman of Area 4 Iowa. Scott brings his experience in administration and team building to lead and support foundation initiatives. He is particularly interested in improving and enhancing the urban canopy to drive positive changes in air, water and soil quality. Scott appreciates the opportunity the foundation provides to affects change that can improve our environment and our quality of life.

Scott began his career after graduating from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. His professional focus is on team building and giving his teams the opportunities to grow and expand their technical and leadership abilities. In September 2016, Scott became the first recipient of the Management Action Programs (MAP) Disciplined Leader Award, which recognizes select leaders who have consistently exhibited the qualities of a disciplined leader.

Terry McGonegle held the position of CFO of Wright Service Corp. from 2002, as the company transitioned to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), to 2019 at which point he retired from his 25-year tenure. Terry continues his involvement on the board of directors for Wright Service Corp. and in industry organizations. He has served of the audit committee for the Tree Care Industry Association and finance committees for both the Utility Arborist Association and the TREE Fund. Terry is also the past president of The Iowa-Nebraska Chapter of The ESOP Association.

Terry brings his experience in public accounting, and accounting in the construction, agriculture, tree care and environmental fields. At Wright Service Corp., he enjoyed working for a growth-minded company that operates with their values at the forefront every day and looks forward to applying those principals to the foundation and its forward-thinking mission. Terry appreciates the opportunity to foster connections that will create strategies for successful adoption of sustainable practices, in turn creating positive change for our communities and our planet.

Founder and President of Sustainable Environmental Consultants John Harsch has over 25 years of experience in agriculture, environmental practices, natural resources, and conservation. After working in conservation and livestock operations, John was introduced to sustainability while working for the Midwest Dairy Association, where he discovered the role agriculture and sustainability practices play in the food, beverage and ingredients supply chain. With this passion and his comprehensive career experience, he took his vision to grow a reward winning company with sustainability at its foundation. 

John grew up in agriculture and his passion for it runs deep. His involvement in his family farming and ranching operations gave him his strong appreciation for natural resources. Before Sustainable Environmental Consultants, John worked in the water quality and waste management sectors, solidifying his knowledge of regulatory compliance, stormwater best management practices, and carbon footprint reduction. He has an extensive background working in environmental compliance management and environmental regulations.

John appreciates that the foundation centers its specific focus around its mission, vision and strong values to make positive environmental change. John is especially interested in the foundation’s renewable agriculture initiative. He recognizes it as the future of agriculture and the wide-reaching impact it has on our communities and environment by positively impacting elements like soil health, carbon emission reduction, biodiversity and supply chain economics.

Robert Riley Jr. has been in the agricultural and environmental industries the entirety of his 50-year career. Robert is founder and chairman of the board of Riley Resource Group and its family of companies, including the Feed Energy Company, which provides nutraceutical energy products for livestock feed. He has experience in all aspects of the industry, from research and development, to operations management to sales and marketing. Robert has been involved in numerous industry organizations, currently as an Iowa Poultry Association board member and IaAgState member.

Robert has a long history of nonprofit work, having served on many environmental boards, including the Iowa Innovation Corporation, The Nature Conservancy of Iowa, Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advisory board and the Board of Trustees of the Des Moines Water Works. He brings a knowledge of conservation, sustainability and regenerative agriculture practices as well as grant management to the foundation. Wright Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation’s mission appeals to him because he believes in the carbon emission mitigation methods the foundation champions as well as its goal, to positively impact climate, is one of the biggest issues of our time.

Robert graduated from Monmouth College with a bachelor’s in philosophy and received the distinguished Alumnus Impact Award in 2019. He grew up experimenting with everything he found. These foundations of questioning and systems thinking led him to a lifelong study of innovation and process improvement, particularly in fields concerned with connections between humans, agriculture and the environment.