Our People
Eric Wright
Having served as Chief of Staff to former Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff and Director of the Senate Finance Committee, Eric Wright has created a unique and unmatched record of public service. Working with members and staff of the executive and legislative branch, Wright has helped craft meaningful solutions to often complex and politically sensitive issues. Wright’s extensive political relationships combined with his knowledge of the legislative appropriations, regulatory, and public affairs processes, have given him a solid reputation of creating competitive advantages for a variety of corporations and associations.
Vatra Solomon
Characterized by her keen political insight, organizational skills, and management, Vatra Solomon has navigated through the realms of education, insurance, and politics to establish a storied reputation. As the most recent addition to Eric Wright and Associates, Solomon will bolster the firm with her ability to organize and lead businesses, associations, and coalitions through the political process. Residing in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Solomon will serve as a consultant for the firm’s clients and interests in the Northeast Texas area.
Tom Valentine
Tom Valentine recently left state government after 30 years of serving Texas and people with disabilities. He began his career as a special education teacher, teaching deaf-blind, severely disabled children. With the passage of federal legislation guaranteeing free appropriate education for all students Mr. Valentine joined the Texas Education agency where he assisted local school districts to develop the capability of serving all their children as required by the new federal law.
Patricia Hicks
Patricia Hicks is an experienced public administrator with a comprehensive background in education policy, legislative affairs, research, and government administration. After a rewarding career in state government, Ms. Hicks branched out on her own to focus on informing and fostering partnerships between schools, businesses, and community organizations willing to work together to ensure high academic achievement and postsecondary success for all students. Ms. Hicks currently provides technical assistance, training and consulting services to a variety of P-16 education stakeholders, including school districts, education associations, parent and community organizations.
Katy Cramer
Katy Cramer is the newest member of Eric Wright & Associates. In her role as Administrative Assistant, she maintains the daily operations of the office including accounting, planning and scheduling for the company. She is the firm’s liaison to legislative offices and clients. Katy is responsible for ensuring that ethics registrations and filings are completed accurately and on time. Katy brings with her over a decade of administrative and office management experience.