Key Players in the Disney Expansion : Tom Wood

Before he began negotiating with Disney, Deputy City Manager Tom Wood had heard many stories about the shrewdness of the Disney deal-makers.

So as Anaheim’s chief negotiator on the Disneyland Resort proposal, he has gone to extraordinary lengths to bone up on the competition, reading stacks of books, magazine articles, financial reports and “anything that’s ever been printed on the company.”

The 41-year-old city administrator also went to Orlando, Fla., to talk to his counterparts about their experience with Disney World.

“We discussed how Disney operates,” he said with a smile. “What to look for.” For more than two years, Wood has been steeped in the project, meeting with Disney officials first to win the company’s Southern California expansion for Anaheim, then to get the best deal for the city.

“It’s been the most challenging project in my career,” said Wood, who holds a master’s degree in public administration from USC.

The City Council gave Wood clear orders to follow in his negotiations with Disney. Two of the most important guidelines, he said, are that no general fund money be at risk and that the project be a moneymaker for the city.

“You’ll be able to judge how well I did by the deal I negotiate,” he said. “It will be out there for everyone to see.”