The president  of the Television Academy, Lucy Hood, 56, who was named to her position just ten months ago, has died of cancer.

"In the all-too-short time Lucy led the Television Academy, her extraordinary impact and contributions were deeply felt throughout the organization," said Television Academy Chairman Bruce Rosenblum in a statement on the TV Academy website, which continues, "Lucy will be greatly missed.”

Rosenblum's statement also says, "Our hearts and prayers go out to her husband, Rob, and her two children, Rachel and Benjamin. Lucy was an innovator and thought leader, always focused on how to best serve an industry she loved."

The story about Hood's death was posted on the Television Academy website yesterday, April 2, 2014.

The story on the website notes that Hood "was appointed President and COO for the Television Academy in June of 2013, charged with expanding the organization’s business and digital initiatives, while overseeing its day-to-day operations. She served as the liaison to the Executive Committees and the Boards of both the Academy and its Foundation."

The story adds, "Most recently, she led the Academy’s rollout of its new brand identity and the announcement of a capital campaign to expand the campus and establish an endowment for the Academy’s Foundation." It was just last month that the former Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced that it was changing its name to the Television Academy.

The story notes: "Prior to joining the Television Academy, Hood served as head of USC’s Communication Technology Management Institute with the Marshall School of Business, where she supervised forums for industry leaders and research into the Future of Media, with partners such as Disney, Warner Bros., Fox, Ogilvy & Mather, and leading technology companies.

"Before that she enjoyed a long career at News Corporation working across a wide variety of Fox divisions and News Corp. companies."

While at Fox, according to the story, "Hood was the founding President of Fox Mobile Entertainment, leading the team that created the 'Mobisode' and the first ad-sponsored mobile video. Their ground-breaking mobisode series, '24: Conspiracy,' ran on mobile phones around the world, and was honored with a Daytime Emmy nomination for 'outstanding achievement in video content for non-traditional delivery platforms,' as well as numerous other awards."

The piece notes that previously Hood "was an executive at Paramount Pictures, and prior to that produced the ESPN news program 'Business Times.'"

"In addition to her husband, Rob Biniaz, and children Rachel and Benjamin, Hood is survived by her father, John Hood (wife Laima), of New York, her mother, Anne Hood, of Pennsylvania, and siblings Sarah Hood, Kathy Hood and John Hood," the story says, adding the following:

"In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to Yale University earmarked for the 'Yale Alumni Service Corps in memory of Lucy Hood' c/o Joao Aleixo, Yale Alumni Service Corps, 232 York Street, New Haven, CT 06511.

"A memorial in celebration of Lucy Hood’s life will be scheduled in the near future."

Lucy Hood