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• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Nathan Ripa (talk) 02:44, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

Elliott Vallen Hood (born October 20, 1981) is an American attorney and elected member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents. Hood was elected by Colorado voters statewide as the Board’s at-large member in November 2024 and assumed office on January 7, 2025.^[1] He is serving a six-year term as Regent. Hood lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Caroline Hult, and their two children.

Hood was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 20, 1981, to parents William “Bill” Hood and Vicki Vallen Hood. Hood’s father, Bill, now deceased, was a well-known lobbyist, airline executive, and philanthropist in Chicago.^[2] Hood’s mother, Vicki, now retired, was a partner at the global law firm Kirkland & Ellis.^[3] He has a younger sibling, Tyler Hood. Hood grew up in Chicago and in Kenilworth, Illinois, a suburb located on Chicago’s North Shore.

Hood attended elementary and junior high school at Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. For high school, Hood attended New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 2000. He attended college and earned his B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2004. Hood met his wife, Caroline, at CU Boulder.

After college, Hood taught fifth grade in Las Vegas, Nevada through Teach For America.

Hood attended and graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law in 2012. After law school, Hood clerked for Judge A. Bruce Jones, a district court judge in Denver, Colorado. Hood then clerked for Judge Robert E. Bacharach on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Hood worked as an associated attorney at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP in Denver, Colorado.^[4] In 2017, Hood joined Caplan and Earnest, a law firm based in Boulder.^[5] Hood primarily represents public school districts across Colorado and is a partner in the firm’s litigation and education law practice groups.^[6] Hood has served as lead counsel in several high-profile matters, including cases involving disability rights^[7] and charter schools.^[8]

In 2019, Hood was appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper, and later re-appointed by Governor Jared Polis, to serve on the Colorado Disability Funding Committee.^[9] In 2021, Hood was appointed by the Boulder City Council to serve on the Boulder Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.^[10] Hood served as both vice chair and chair of the Board.

Hood declared his candidacy for the at-large regent seat on June 1, 2023, following the announcement by at-large Regent Lesley Smith that she would not seek reelection as regent and would instead run for a vacant seat in Colorado’s House of Representatives.^[11] Smith was elected to that position in November 2024.^[12] Hood set a fundraising record for a regent candidate in his first fundraising cycle, hauling in over $52,000 in the first month of his campaign.^[13]

In the primary, Hood faced former University of Colorado quarterback and Ball Corporation executive Charles “CJ” Johnson.^[14] Hood and Johnson drew praise for their amicable primary contest.^[15] Hood won the June 2024 Democratic primary with 52% of the vote statewide.^{[16] [17]}

In the general election, Hood faced Republican nominee Eric Rinard, an engineer and officer of the Weld County Republican Party,^[18] as well as Unity Party nominee T.J. Cole and Approval Party nominee Thomas Reasoner.^[19] Hood won the general election on November 5, 2024, earning over 1.25 million votes statewide and 50.5% of votes cast.^[20]Rinard finished second, earning 46.8% of votes cast.^[21] Hood’s victory preserved a narrow 5-4 Democratic majority on the Board of Regents.

Hood was sworn as regent on January 7, 2025.^[22] As regent, Hood serves as one of nine regents and is the only regent representing the citizens of Colorado statewide.^[23] The other eight regents each represent one of Colorado eight congressional districts.^[24] Hood’s six-year term runs from January 2025 to January 2031.^[25]

As Regent, Hood has voted in favor of, among other things, expanding access for people with disabilities,^[26] building more housing for students,^[27] and extending the contract of CU Boulder Football Coach Deion Sanders.^[28]