Tom Flood And Lin Sue Cooney: Life, Media Legacy, And Arizona Philanthropy In 2026
This article examines the enduring community partnership, broadcast history, and philanthropic initiatives of longtime Phoenix news anchor Lin Sue Cooney and her husband, business executive Tom Flood.
For more than three decades, television viewers across central Arizona welcomed Lin Sue Cooney into their living rooms as one of the most trusted news anchors in Phoenix television history. Alongside her husband, veteran advertising executive and entrepreneur Tom Flood, the couple has built a legacy that extends far beyond the television studio into transformative community development, palliative healthcare advocacy, and youth support across Maricopa County. As civic leaders in 2026, their dual commitments to regional media integrity and nonprofit engagement continue to shape public service across the Valley of the Sun.
The Broadcaster and the Strategist: An Arizona Power Couple
Understanding the community standing of Lin Sue Cooney and Tom Flood requires examining how their complementary careers intersected with the explosive growth of the Phoenix metropolitan area. While Lin Sue served as the public face of local journalism, Tom Flood worked behind the scenes as a marketing executive, brand strategist, and business leader.
Lin Sue, a graduate of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University (undergraduate degree) and Willamette University, established herself early on as a thorough, compassionate reporter. Her marriage to Tom Flood unified two distinct disciplines: journalistic integrity and high-level corporate brand development. Together, they established a family foundation centered on local civic investment, family advocacy, and compassionate healthcare.
Their presence has been anchored primarily in Paradise Valley and the broader Phoenix area, where they have consistently modeled how public recognition can be translated into sustainable community equity. Rather than retiring from public life after decades in demanding professional roles, both have leveraged their respective networks to champion community services throughout the state.
From the 12 News Anchor Desk to Healthcare Leadership
Lin Sue Cooney’s journalism career remains a benchmark for broadcast excellence in the Southwest. Joining KPNX-TV (Channel 12, the Phoenix NBC affiliate) in 1984, she spent thirty-one years informing Arizonans through milestone events, political transformations, and historic regional changes.
Co-anchoring evening broadcasts with distinguished colleagues like Mark Curtis, Lin Sue earned multiple Emmy Awards and became synonymous with dependable local reporting. Her decision to step down from Channel 12 in 2015 caught many viewers by surprise, but her subsequent career pivot revealed a clear dedication to mission-driven community health.
The Transition to Hospice of the Valley
In 2015, Lin Sue assumed the role of Director of Community Engagement at Hospice of the Valley, one of the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit hospice organizations, founded in Phoenix in 1977.
Her transition from reporting breaking news to educating families on end-of-life care, palliative medicine, and dementia care has provided vital visibility to an often misunderstood segment of regional healthcare:
- Public Education on Palliative Support: Demystifying hospice services by presenting them not as an immediate surrender to mortality, but as an active, dignified enhancement of life quality for patients and family caregivers.
- Expansion of Specialized Programs: Promoting innovative services like the Dementia Care and Education Campus in central Phoenix, which offers integrated memory care, adult day services, and public education.
- Charitable Fundraising Campaigns: Spearheading high-profile Valley events, including the annual "AAHA! An Art Affair" gala, which generates critical financial resources for uninsured and underinsured patients.
Homecoming week: Jineane Ford, Linda Alvarez, Kent Dana and Lin Sue ...
Professional Trajectory and Business Acumen of Tom Flood
While Lin Sue’s visibility was tied directly to daily television broadcasts, Tom Flood developed a distinguished career inside corporate communications, commercial production, and entrepreneurial media strategy.
With decades of executive-level experience in advertising agencies and private consultancies, Flood has advised commercial ventures, health initiatives, and philanthropic foundations throughout the Mountain West. His professional scope typically encompasses:
- Strategic Brand Architecture: Guiding growth-stage Arizona companies through regional identity development and public positioning.
- Corporate-Civic Partnerships: Aligning corporate financial resources with regional nonprofit needs, ensuring that community sponsorships generate measurable societal returns.
- Media Production & Narrative Consulting: Applying high-end broadcast production principles to private-sector messaging, healthcare campaigns, and civic service efforts.
Throughout his career, Flood has deliberately kept a lower public profile than his wife, choosing instead to focus on enterprise execution, operational leadership, and community alliance building.
Shared Philanthropic Impact Across Maricopa County
The combined impact of Tom Flood and Lin Sue Cooney is most evident in their unified approach to charitable work. Rather than lending their names purely for ceremonial purposes, both have historically engaged in active, board-level, and operational volunteerism.
Key Philanthropic Pillars
The civic efforts of Tom Flood and Lin Sue Cooney center on three enduring priorities: expanding equitable access to specialized healthcare, championing the care and placement of vulnerable children, and supporting animal welfare organizations across Arizona.
Children and Foster Care Advocacy
Having built a blended family that includes adopted children, the couple has been vocal advocates for foster care reform, domestic and international adoption, and child welfare:
- Foster Care Support: Partnering with Arizona child safety agencies to encourage local families to open their homes to dependent youth.
- Adoption Awareness Campaigns: Utilizing media platforms to share personal experiences, dispelling misconceptions, and guiding prospective parents through legal and emotional adoption pathways.
- Youth Mentorship Initiatives: Backing community-based organizations that provide academic tutoring and extracurricular development to at-risk youth in the central Phoenix urban core.
Animal Welfare and Rescue Initiatives
Both Tom and Lin Sue have long prioritized animal rescue and humane care programs across Arizona. They have supported organizations such as the Arizona Humane Society and the Arizona Animal Welfare League through event emceeing, public awareness campaigns, and direct fundraising, promoting responsible pet ownership and shelter adoptions.
Career and Civic Milestone Comparison
The following table summarizes the distinct career trajectories, leadership responsibilities, and civic contributions of both individuals.
| Category | Lin Sue Cooney (Lin Sue Flood) | Tom Flood |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Industry | Broadcast Journalism / Palliative Healthcare Leadership | Advertising, Brand Marketing & Entrepreneurship |
| Key Institutional Roles | Evening Anchor, KPNX 12 News (1984–2015); Director of Community Engagement, Hospice of the Valley | Executive Advertising Director; Media Strategy Consultant; Commercial Producer |
| Core Skillsets | Investigative reporting, public communications, nonprofit fundraising, community outreach | Brand architecture, media production, executive strategy, corporate philanthropy |
| Notable Honors | Multiple Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards; Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee | Regional advertising awards; recognition for civic sponsorship and executive mentorship |
| Philanthropic Focus | End-of-life care equity, dementia support, senior services | Youth sports programs, corporate-nonprofit partnerships, foster family advocacy |
| Geographic Anchor | Phoenix Metropolitan Area, Maricopa County, Arizona | Phoenix / Paradise Valley, Arizona |
Family Life, Values, and the Paradise Valley Community
Behind their professional reputations, Tom Flood and Lin Sue Cooney are known locally for their grounded, family-centered lifestyle. Residing in the Paradise Valley area, their home life has centered on raising four children—an experience that deepened their commitment to children's causes and healthcare equity.
Their approach to parenting has frequently informed their public messaging. Lin Sue has regularly spoken about balancing the intense demands of daily live television with the nuanced emotional needs of a blended household. Tom Flood's strategic business discipline complemented this dynamic, allowing both to prioritize hands-on parenting alongside demanding executive schedules.
In local civic settings—from school district functions and youth sports leagues to church leadership and neighborhood preservation efforts—neighbors and colleagues consistently describe the couple as accessible, genuine, and committed to quiet community support.
The Continuing Impact of Their Leadership in 2026
As Arizona continues to navigate rapid population expansion, shifts in modern healthcare delivery, and changing media landscapes, the collaborative work of Lin Sue Cooney and Tom Flood serves as an operational model for civic longevity.
Lin Sue’s continued influence within Hospice of the Valley ensures that central Arizona remains a national leader in palliative education and compassionate senior care. Meanwhile, Tom Flood’s strategic advisory roles continue to help local enterprises integrate social responsibility directly into their core business frameworks. Their collective efforts demonstrate that media trust and business acumen, when paired with continuous community service, leave a lasting, generational imprint on regional culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Lin Sue Cooney and Tom Flood?
Lin Sue Cooney is an Emmy Award-winning former television news anchor for Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX 12 News who now serves as an executive leader at Hospice of the Valley. Tom Flood is an accomplished advertising executive, media strategist, and entrepreneur; together, they are prominent community leaders and philanthropists in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
When did Lin Sue Cooney retire from television news?
Lin Sue Cooney stepped down from her anchor position at KPNX 12 News in 2015 after 31 years on the air. She transitioned immediately into community healthcare advocacy as the Director of Community Engagement for Hospice of the Valley.
What is Lin Sue Cooney’s role at Hospice of the Valley?
She serves as the Director of Community Engagement, leading public education, outreach, and strategic development. In this capacity, she works to raise awareness regarding palliative care, memory and dementia resources, and charitable support for end-of-life healthcare across central Arizona.
What causes do Tom Flood and Lin Sue support together?
The couple actively champions hospice care, dementia support, foster child advocacy, domestic adoption, and regional animal welfare organizations across Phoenix, Paradise Valley, and the broader Maricopa County area.
Where does the Flood/Cooney family reside?
The family resides in the Phoenix metropolitan area, maintaining long-standing ties to the Town of Paradise Valley, Arizona, where they have actively supported local civic, educational, and charitable initiatives for decades.
For those seeking to make a tangible difference across central Arizona, exploring volunteer and charitable giving opportunities through community organizations like Hospice of the Valley or regional foster care networks offers a direct pathway to continue the tradition of civic stewardship modeled by Tom Flood and Lin Sue Cooney.
