Anthony Woods

Anthony Christopher Woods (born July 20, 1980) is an American politician who served as the secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families from 2023 to 2025. He was a U.S. Army officer deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Woods was discharged in 2008 for violating the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Early life and education Born on July 20, 1980, As a child, Woods lived in both Fairfield and Vacaville in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated with honors from Vanden High School in 1999. At West Point, he majored in economics and political science, and graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in Economics and American Politics with a minor in computer science. He earned an executive Master of Business Administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Woods returned from this deployment to the U.S. in January 2005 and was transferred from Fort Bragg to Fort Carson, Colorado. Later that year, in June 2005, he made his second deployment to Iraq with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Upon return from his second deployment, the Army selected Woods to teach at West Point, an unusual appointment for so junior an officer and one which would require him to earn a graduate degree first. That year, he enrolled at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he studied for a master's degree in public policy.

Shortly after graduation, Woods reported to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for the Armor Captain's Career Course. Shortly thereafter, Woods outed himself as gay and was subsequently discharged under the government's now-repealed “Don't ask, don't tell” policy. For this decision, Woods was ordered to reimburse the Army for the $35,000 tuition paid on his behalf to attend Harvard. In December 2008, the U.S. Army completed the discharge process for Woods.

In 2014, Woods joined the United States Army Reserve as a major in military intelligence.

Civilian career

After his honorable discharge from the Army in 2008, Woods worked as an aide for Governor David Paterson of New York.

Following the campaign in California, Woods returned to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the nonprofit Be the Change, Inc. Woods helped run the organization's ServiceNation campaign devoted to increasing support for expanding national service programs like the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. He served as the Director of the "Service as a Strategy" initiative, aiding in developing volunteer-driven solutions for American cities. Woods worked at the United States Office of Personnel Management under John Berry during this time. His nomination was unanimously approved by the Maryland Senate on February 17. Woods stepped down as secretary on May 11, 2025, to join a technology startup.

Personal life Woods is married. His spouse was a contractor with United States Agency for International Development until 2025.