CHESTERFIELD – Chesterfield County announced Meghan Coates as its new director of budget and management, effective March 14.
Coates has worked for the county for 10 years, spending the last five years in budget and management, most recently serving as budget manager. Prior to working in budget and management, she worked for the Parks and Recreation Department.
In her most recent role, Coates, 32, was instrumental in redesigning the budget process to make it more customer-friendly, and she was a key contributor to the county’s ongoing community outreach efforts through Blueprint Chesterfield. She led the development of the annual operating budget, the Capital Improvement Plan, and financial projections, and she managed a portfolio of county departmental budgets and key special projects.
As department director, she will be responsible for the oversight of the county’s $1.3 billion consolidated budget and five-year capital improvement plan. She also will be responsible for integrating and coordinating major strategic functions, including financial planning, budgeting, capital facilities planning, debt management, and ensuring the county’s fiscal strength and integrity. Coates will report directly to county finance director Allan Carmody.
“Meghan is a highly motivated and dedicated professional,” Carmody said. “These characteristics, when coupled with her uncanny ability to assess complex topics and offer sensible solutions, will serve Chesterfield well now and in the coming years. I look forward to working with Meghan in her new leadership role.”
Coates holds a bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College and a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently pursuing a certificate in innovation through the University of Virginia’s executive education program.
“I’m excited to step into this new role with the county and plan to continue innovating the budget development process,” Coates said. “I’m fortunate that the timing of this announcement provides me with the opportunity to spend time with citizens over the next few weeks as we head out into the community to present the proposed FY2019 budget. My goal is to ensure the public that open lines of communication with our office exist as we further enhance transparency and communication with the community we serve.”
