Named as the fourth most influential leader in Accounting Today’s 2012 list of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the CPA profession (his eighth time on the list), Tom stands out in three areas: leadership, learning, and technology.

He was also named as one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in Public Accounting by CPA Practice Adviser and Top 25 Thought Leaders in Public Accounting Technology by CPA Technology Adviser, one of the Top 25 Online Influencers in Talent Management by HR Examiner and as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the CPA Profession by Accounting Today Magazine (seventh time in 2011).

These awards and recognition reflect Tom’s leadership in helping CPAs “shape their future” through his work at the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, a center for the development of leadership and strategic thinking skills for CPAs.

Tom and his team have facilitated and taught the Major Firms Group (Top 100 CPA firms) for the AICPA, the AICPA Leadership Academy and lead strategic planning sessions with leading CPA firms from all over the US, along with corporations and non-profits. Tom also co-authored BLI’s i2a - Insights to Action a strategic thinking system that is used to cultivate leaders and a strategic planning process to help organizations navigate today’s permanent whitewater environment. The i2a process was customized to meet the needs of the national CPA Horizons 2025 project where Tom and his team ran thirty future forums that engaged thousands of participants in a conversation about the future.

He is a nationally recognized author, speaker and consultant. Tom has been featured in the Journal of Accountancy, Accounting Today magazine and AccountingWeb. He also won the AICPA Special Recognition Award for his contributions to the profession leading the CPA Vision Project in 2003. He is also considered as a thought leader in the Association Community speaking at the DigitalNow Conference and the ASAE (American Society of Association Executives).

Tom likes to say much of his success as a CPA is due to membership in associations. He has been an active volunteer since starting his career. He has been past-president of the Maryland Association of CPAs (1993-1994) and currently on the AICPA CPE Advisory Committee. He has served on several key national committees - the AICPA Enhanced Business Reporting Committee and AICPA Special Committee on Mobility. He is also a member of the ASAE, World Future Society in addition to the AICPA & MACPA.

In addition to his history as an association executive and CEO, Hood has experience as a high-level executive, specifically as treasurer and CFO of Bryn Awel Corporation, a privately owned $75 million highway construction company.

He is a graduate of Loyola College (B.A. in Accounting) and has a Master’s in Finance (Real Estate) from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s equivalent in Information Systems from the University of Baltimore. He also obtained the Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) certification and the Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA) certification from the AICPA.

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