Vice President of Research and Policy

Thomas M. Hanna is Vice President of Research and Policy at The Democracy Collaborative. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow and a Fellow at the Climate and Community Institute.

In 2026, Thomas rejoined TDC after spending three years overseeing communications for the criminal justice team at Arnold Ventures, a Texas-based philanthropy. Prior to joining Arnold Ventures, he worked for 12 years at The Democracy Collaborative, including seven years as Research Director. In this role, he designed, executed, and supervised qualitative and quantitative research around advancing more equitable forms of economic development, institutional design, and public policy.

Thomas has authored dozens of reports, papers, and articles that have been published in both popular and academic journals. In 2018, his book Our Common Wealth: The Return of Public Ownership in the United States was published by Manchester University Press. Thomas is recognized internationally for his work on creating more democratic and participatory forms of public enterprise and organization, and has served on the boards of multiple organizations and projects.

Thomas is a first-generation immigrant to the United States, having arrived from the United Kingdom as a child in the early 1990s. He lives in Virginia with his partner and two children. He enjoys sports, music, food, and travel, and is the volunteer coach and director for a local youth travel soccer program comprised of around 40 kids from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Management (with a Political Economy focus) from the University of Glasgow and an M.A. and B.A. in History from Virginia Commonwealth University.