President and Chief Executive Officer

THOMAS C. ATWOOD

President and Chief Executive Officer

National Council For Adoption

Alexandria, Virginia

Thomas Atwood serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council For Adoption (NCFA). Founded in 1980, NCFA is an adoption research, education, and advocacy nonprofit organization, whose mission is to promote the well-being of children, birthparents, and adoptive families by advocating for the positive option of adoption. NCFA addresses all aspects of the adoption issue, devoting its efforts roughly equally among the areas of infant, foster care, and intercountry adoptions.

Mr. Atwood is NCFA’s chief spokesperson and directs all aspects of NCFA’s work, including government and media relations; policy analysis, research, and publications; adoption agency training and services; and development, administration, and strategic planning. For four years he has served as executive director of NCFA’s federally funded Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program. He leads NCFA’s ongoing efforts to ensure sound, ethical adoption policies and practices – such as by promoting adoptions out of foster care through financing and court reforms; finding families for foster children through parent recruitment and private agencies; presentingadoption as an option for unplanned pregnancies; serving birthmothers through sound counseling; advancing a global culture of adoption and child welfare through international advocacy; making adoption more affordable through the adoption tax credit; and raising adoption awareness and understanding through the media.

Mr. Atwood has directed national research, education, and advocacy nonprofits for 20 years as chief executive, director of government and media relations, research director, editor, publisher, coalition builder, fundraiser, and strategic planner. During his eleven-year tenure at The Heritage Foundation, he served as Director of Coalition Relations and Executive Editor of Policy Review. He was Vice President, Policy and Programs for Family Research Council. He was the founding President of the Board of Directors of the National Safe Haven Alliance.

Thomas Atwood frequently testifies on adoption, foster care, and child welfare issues before Congress and state legislatures, and his media appearances and citations include the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Isvestia, Pravda, Black Entertainment Television, Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, E!, “Today Show,” “The Early Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Primetime,” “Fox and Friends,” “Larry King Live,” CNN International, MSNBC, National Public Radio, Russia Channel One, and many other media. He is Executive Editor of Adoption Factbook IV, NCFA’s authoritative and comprehensive on adoption policy and practice, and edited three editions of The Heritage Foundation’s Guide to Public Policy Experts. He is author of numerous articles and briefs on adoption, foster care, and other child and family issues.

Mr. Atwood graduated from Roxbury Latin School in 1969 and from Brandeis University in 1973 with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. He earned his Masters in Public Policy and Masters in Business Administration from Regent University in 1986, both summa cum laude. An adoptive father himself, Mr. Atwood resides in Virginia, with his wife of 26 years Eileen and their 17-year old son Christopher.