John Hood

Hood helped to found JLF in 1989. In addition to his duties at JLF, Hood is a syndicated columnist for the Winston-Salem Journal, High Point Enterprise, Gaston Gazette, Durham Herald-Sun, and newspapers in 50 other North Carolina communities. In 1994-95, Hood was a Bradley Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the nation’s premier conservative think tank. At JLF, Hood created the E.A. Morris Fellowship for Emerging Leaders, a yearlong program that prepares young North Carolinians for leadership roles in government, business, and nonprofits. The ranks of Morris Fellows include state lawmakers, local elected officials, entrepreneurs, business managers, professionals, educators, and citizen activists. Hood has also served on selection committees for other programs such as the Wildacres Leadership Initiative's William Friday Fellows and the German Marshall Fund's Marshall Memorial Fellowship. Hood received his degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hood currently serves as chairman of the Carolina Liberty Foundation, an independent nonprofit that provides financial support to conservative and libertarian student groups at Chapel Hill. He is a Mecklenburg County native and currently resides in Wake County with his family.