Hartford Business Journal

CFO - 10 Hartford Business Journal•November10,2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com CFO of the Year 2014 By Kathryn M. Roy Special to the Hartford Business Journal A s the American School for the Deaf sought to build a new facil- ity to meet the changing needs of 21st century students, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Wood was there every step of the way, helping secure the financing and guiding the project to its on- time, under-budget completion. Wood, 62, oversaw the development of the new $21.7 million Gal- laudet-Clerc Educational Center in West Hartford, the only building in the region specifically designed to meet the unique learning styles of deaf and hard of hearing students. Wood worked with ASD administrators and program managers to carefully develop a "guaranteed maximum price" contract for the facility and ensure that key project milestones were attained. Weekly meetings with architects, construction managers and subcontractors were held, and the project budget was continuously reviewed through- out the process, Wood said. The end result: The educational center was built $570,000 under budget. Jeffrey Bravin, ASD's executive director, said Wood was not flus- tered with any challenges the project presented. "With any construction project, there are always change orders," Bravin said. "Tom made sure that with every change order, whatever bids were received, that we were able to build a beautiful new building to meet the needs of our students and get the best price." Bravin said Wood has skillfully managed the organization's financ- es and investments over the years. "Tom has been able to keep the budget in the black because he and his team have consistently and continually reviewed all expense categories and reviewed all contracts as appropriate," Bravin said. "He has developed a comprehensive plan for the school and its opera- tions that allow him to make strategic decisions regarding spending." To help finance the Gallaudet-Clerc Educational Center, Wood sold 75 percent of ASD's real estate holdings, which were eating away at the nonprofit's budget. Wood leads American School for the Deaf through major transformation P h o t o / P a b l o R o b l e s Nonprofit Winner Executive profile questionnaire The Basics Name: Thomas Wood Name of organization: American School for the Deaf Title: Chief Financial Officer Size of organization: $38 million budget Education: MBA, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas Previous job(s): Executive Vice President/CFO/Treasurer, MECH Financial/Mechanics Savings Bank, Hartford (14 years); first job- was sweeping a dance hall floor for $1.25/hour. On the job Guiding business principle: Tact and finesse are excellent complements to knowledge and competence Best way to keep your competitive edge: Working out three times per week and reading three to four hours per day Best business decision: To realign the school's academic and residential facilities with a 21st-century deaf education model making the Gallaudet Clerc Education Center a reality while reducing deferred maintenance and operating costs Most influential business book: "A Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi Personal touch in your office: Picture of my wife, Marie. (I have known her over half my life. The last half was certainly by far much better than the first half! LOL) Personal side: Favorite way to relax: Either watching the sun set or watching the "Big Bang Theory" Hobbies: Reading Last vacation: Two weeks in Ireland two-and-a-half years ago. We rented a car and exploring we went! The car you drive: 2003 Chevy Tahoe Favorite communication device: IPhone Currently reading: "The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson Favorite cause: Birth-to-Three Program, American School for the Deaf Second choice career: This is my second career choice.

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