Joan Herrold Wood earned a degree in journalism at Ohio University before securing a job with the Pittsburgh Press. After seven years as a feature writer, she left the newspaper industry to pursue a career in public relations. She served as the account executive and supervisor at the J. Walter Thompson Company, then as vice president of the broadcast services department of Richard Weiner, Inc., before starting Wood Public Relations in 1987.

In her retirement, Wood is involved in a number of civic activities and causes, raises champion Boston Terriers and travels the country competing at the pro-am level in ballroom dancing, in which she has won a number of championships. She has received a variety of writing awards from the Women's Press Club of Pittsburgh and numerous leadership awards for her volunteer efforts, including Ohio University's Alumna of the Year.