Albemarle County names Nelsie Birch to serve as chief financial officer

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has named Nelsie Birch as the incoming chief financial officer.

The CFO directly oversees Albemarle County’s financial systems, which support the nearly $400 million annual budget, and the supporting functions of accounting, payroll, purchasing, real estate, and revenue administration.

Birch will assume this role effective June 29, following the retirement of Bill Letteri.

“On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, we welcome Nelsie to the organization. Facing an uncertain economic outlook, Albemarle County will benefit from Nelsie’s wide-range of experience working with cities to create and implement sound financial management plans,” said Board Chair Ned Gallaway.

Birch brings over 20 years of public and private sector experience in finance, budgeting, and administration, with experience working in Alexandria, Baltimore, Greensboro, and Washington, D.C. Most recently, Birch has served as founder and president of BIRCHbark Strategic Consulting, a consultancy providing leadership, strategic planning and budgeting, financial and performance management, process improvement and operational excellence expertise and services to local governments across the U.S.

“Our organization has benefited from the consulting work that Nelsie has completed for Albemarle County over the past several years – her familiarity with our financial systems and our leadership philosophy, coupled with her strategic vision and commitment to organizational excellence, will be an asset to our team and to our community,” said County Executive Jeff Richardson.

Birch has a master of public administration degree from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor of arts in political science from Knox College, and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and the Leadership ICMA program, of the International City/County Management Association.

“I am so excited to be joining the talented team in Albemarle this summer. As a County resident, I look forward to serving the community that I have grown to love so much,” Birch said.