Libby Garvey
Chair, Arlington County Board
Libby Garvey is currently Chair of the Arlington County Board. She was elected to the Arlington County Board in March 2012, after serving on the Arlington County School Board for 15 years, including five times as chair. She has served twice before as Chair of the Arlington County Board.
Ms. Garvey began her professional career as a teacher in the Peace Corps in the Central African Republic. She later worked as a legislative aide to Congressman Lee Hamilton and as Executive Director of the Mount Holyoke College Washington Internship program. Virginia Governor Mark Warner appointed Ms. Garvey to serve on the P-16 Education Council, a position she continued under Governor Tim Kaine.
Ms. Garvey sits on several regional groups. She was appointed to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) in January 2017 and serves as a member of the NVTC Program Advisory Committee and the NVTC Legislative and Policy Committee. She also has served as a principal member of the Virginia Railways Express Operations Board and is currently an alternate member.
Additional regional commissions include the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) where she has served as Chair on the Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Committee and the Region Forward Committee. Additionally, she has served on the Emergency Preparedness Council since 2003, and on COG’s Food and Agricultural Regional Member (FARM) Committee since its inception in 2021. She currently serves on the COG Board and the FARM Committee.
In December 2022 Ms. Garvey was awarded the prestigious Elizabeth & David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award from COG for her tireless work in public service and regional cooperation.
Throughout her career, Ms. Garvey has been involved in many community organizations. She established the Kennan Garvey Memorial Fund for Phoenix Bikes in memory of her husband and served on its board for 14 years. She has served as an occasional volunteer speaker for the Washington Regional Transplant Community. An Arlington resident since 1977, Ms. Garvey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.