Michelle Cowan

Deputy County Manager

Michelle Cowan has been working as Deputy County Manager since July 1, 2015. Prior to this position, Michelle served as Arlington County’s Director of Management and Finance.

As the Director of Management and Finance, Michelle was responsible for overseeing the County’s financial management as well as purchasing, accounting and other related functions. Since joining the County in 2006, she has served in varying roles in the Department of Management and Finance, most recently as Assistant Director and previously as Acting Director of Management and Finance from November 2009 – May 2010.

Prior to joining the County, Michelle was the Director of Finance and Budget at the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority where she was responsible for the development of the Authority’s first ten-year comprehensive financial plan and securing bond rating upgrades to the double-A category.  Earlier in her career, she specialized in municipal debt, including providing financial advisory services to local governments when she was with Government Finance Group (a subsidiary of Legg Mason) and when she was a municipal bond analyst at Standard & Poor’s.

Michelle has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University, and has completed graduate work at Syracuse University. She and her family have resided in Arlington since 1994.

Contact

Department of Management and Finance
2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22201
TEL: 703-228-5023
TTY: 703-228-4611
Send email

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