Kirby Bowers, Praised for Managing Government Finances, Is Retiring

By Michael Birnbaum (Contact), Christopher Twarowski

Originally published at 11:36 a.m., January 29, 2009
Updated at 11:50 p.m., January 29, 2009

Kirby Bowers, the public official who helped see Loudoun County through a housing boom and record-shattering population growth, announced yesterday that he is retiring after 31 years with the county, including nearly 17 as its top executive.

As Loudoun County Administrator, Bower oversaw the day-to-day operations of all county departments and agencies under the direct control of the county Board of Supervisors. He worked closely with county staff in the development, analysis and review of the county's budget, and presented it annually to the board.

Bowers' announcement comes less than two weeks before he will present county leaders with one of their toughest budgets in years — they will need to close a $200 million funding gap.

His steady hand with the county's finances may be his most significant legacy, several county supervisors said yesterday. He helped Loudoun become one of only 22 counties in the country to attain AAA ratings with all three major bond-rating agencies — "no small thing," said Chairman Scott K. York (I-At Large).

"That is quite an accomplishment, especially for a county growing as fast as Loudoun," agreed Supervisor James Burton (I-Blue Ridge).

At a press conference inside the Loudoun County Government Center yesterday, Bowers said he regretted leaving as the economic picture has darkened.

"It's not the best time for me to be leaving," Bowers said. "[But] the opportunity came along. I'm highly confident that there are structures in place that'll see this thing through."

Bowers, 56, will be taking a position as executive director of the Triangle J Council of Governments, a voluntary organization of municipal and county governments in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Bowers said he was ready for something new, especially with an empty nest in the fall when his second child heads to college.

Deputy Loudoun County Administrator Linda A. Neri will serve as interim county administrator while the Board of Supervisors initiates a national search for his permanent replacement.

Bowers was hired in Loudoun government in 1977, as an assistant to then-county administrator Philip A. Bolen. In 1982, he became the county's first budget director. In 1988, Bowers was promoted to assistant county administrator. The next year, he became deputy county administrator. By 1991, Bowers was acting county administrator. He assumed the position permanently the following year.

Bowers' tenure as county administrator was characterized by unprecedented growth. Since the early 1990s, the county's population has more than tripled, from less than 90,000 to more than 283,000. In recent years, Loudoun has ranked first in the nation both in the rate of population growth and in median household income.

"Not in my wildest imagination," he said, did he think Loudoun County would look the way it does now when he first began working here.

His retirement will take effect April 1.

Bowers said the job opportunity in North Carolina came along in August and he applied for it. He said he told the Board of Supervisors a month ago that he would likely be leaving.

"If I had to describe a job after Loudoun County that I would really be interested in," he said, "this is certainly it."

He said he looked forward to being able to look at broader and more regional issues, such as transportation and the environment, than he was able to do in Loudoun. Raleigh-Durham is poised for population expansion, he said, adding, "They still have a chance to get it really right."

Bowers said that he plans to remain involved in Loudoun issues until his departure April 1, but that after he presents his budget proposal to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 9 he will "move away a little bit from the limelight."

He said he is proudest of having built a strong and capable team of people within county government who have helped the Board of Supervisors govern Loudoun efficiently.

Tagged: Board of Supervisors, Loudoun County government

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