Chief Executive Officer
Maryland Association of CPAs
Owing Mills, MD
Ask Tom Hood why becoming a CPA is a smart career choice, and what’s one of the first things you’ll hear? “It’s a recession-proof career,” he says. And after seeing a few recessions in his 27 years as a CPA, he speaks from experience.
He started his career at an architecture firm, and switched jobs to become the CFO of a large highway construction company. “I helped grow that business for 11 years, but a major industry downturn meant that we had to sell the company,” he says. That left Tom to look for a new job. He was quickly chosen to be the executive director of the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA), an organization he had been involved with for years.
Today, he’s the CEO of MACPA, responsible for plenty: keeping members up to date on changes to the profession, representing CPAs for legislators and regulatory bodies and running the business side of the association. He’s even been named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the CPA Profession not just once, but five times. Pretty impressive, Tom.
“Being able to work with CPAs every day, I have the best job in the world,” he says – in good times and bad.
Years as a CPA: 29
Best job: CEO at Maryland Association of CPAs
Worst job: Truck driver
Hobbies outside of work: Books, music, travel, sports
Pets: Mastiffs
Words to live by: "In matters of fashion swim with the tides, in matters of principle stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson