Joseph Wood

Joseph K. Wood is a founding member of the Opportunity Arkansas board of trustees.

Joseph began his life as a foundling; abandoned as a newborn in the streets of Chicago one wintry night, he would be saved and taken to St. Vincent's Orphanage. Joseph would eventually be adopted at 10 years old. He became a teen leader in the tough neighborhood of Jeffery Manor.

After college, Joseph began his career and went on to hold key leadership positions as a bank examiner with Illinois Commissioners of Banks, assistant director with the University of Chicago Booth School, head of recruitment at Walmart International and Deputy Secretary of State in Arkansas.

In 2016, Joseph was elected as the first black county judge in Arkansas history and was re-elected in 2018. He was appointed as Cabinet Secretary of Transformation & Shared Services for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023 and was recently elected as Chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas.

Joseph is the author of two children’s books–Saving Joey and Adopting Joey–as part of the Joey’s Journey series. In 2022, he authored and released the history of Washington County, Arkansas, from the County Judges of Washington County.

Joseph lives in northwest Arkansas with his wife June. They have three daughters, two son-in-loves, and three incredible grandchildren.