Lucy Hood, the president and COO of the Television Academy, has died following a battle with cancer. Her passing was confirmed by the Academy on Wednesday.
Hood, a former Fox executive, took over as Academy president and COO in 2013. She succeeded Alan Perris in the post.
"It is with profound sadness that we have learned of the passing of our dynamic and passionate President and Chief Operating Officer, Lucy Hood, after a courageous battle with cancer," Academy Chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to her husband, Rob, and her two children, Rachel and Benjamin.
Rosenblum called Hood "an innovator and thought leader, always focused on how to best serve an industry she loved. In the all-too short time Lucy led the Television Academy, her extraordinary impact and contributions were deeply felt throughout the organization. Lucy will be greatly missed."
Prior to joining the Academy’s executive leadership, Hood had been Executive Director of the Institute for Communication Technology Management at the University of Southern California. She had previously served as president of Fox Mobile Entertainment and senior VP at News Corporation. At Fox, Hood oversaw mobile efforts for American Idol, including the introduction of text messaging to the show’s audience in 2001. Her work on the mobile video series 24: Conspiracy earned her a nomination for the first Daytime Emmy Award for mobile content.
Other previous stints included Paramount Pictures and a turn as producer on the show Business Times.
