Wayne Scott Appointed by the County Board as County Auditor

At the July 2024 Recessed Board meeting, the Arlington County Board appointed Mr. Wayne Scott as County Auditor. The County Auditor conducts independent performance and operational audits of County departments, programs, and services. The County Auditor is appointed by and reports directly to the County Board with additional guidance from the Audit Committee. The scope of the independent County Auditor is evaluating and providing insight and advice to the County Board on overall program performance, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. This is in addition to and independently from Arlington County's established internal audit service which is, more narrowly, focused on minimizing risk and fraud through systematic evaluation of current operations and internal controls. 

“I am deeply honored to be appointed the County Auditor. Returning to public service fills me with immense purpose and fulfillment, and I am eager to serve the Arlington County community,” said Mr. Scott. “Embracing principles of openness, transparency, and establishing effective partnerships are foundational today in the audit profession. I look forward to leveraging my expertise and experience to uphold the highest standards of accountability within the County.”  

Mr. Scott has over thirty years of experience in the audit profession, with more than twenty years serving in a management and leadership capacity in the public nonprofit sector. He served for over 17 years as Vice President of Internal Audit (Chief Audit Executive) for a multi-billion dollar not-for-profit in Washington, DC, performing regulatory audits for the federal government. In that previous role, he was responsible for developing and executing audit plans to mitigate and detect noncompliance. 

“The County Auditor function is critical to providing the level of independent analysis, insight, and transparency that are indispensable for good and accountable governance in Arlington,” said Vice-Chair and Co-Chair of the Audit Committee Takis Karantonis. County Board Member Maureen Coffey, who also co-chairs the Audit Committee, added: “The Board is confident that Mr. Scott’s wealth of experience, knowledge, and leadership are exactly what is needed to support the development and growth of the County Auditor’s office. I am excited to welcome him and look forward to working together toward our goals of transparent, efficient, and accountable governance." 

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Scott moved to Arlington in 1997 and currently resides in the Barcroft Community. He earned his B.S. at Frostburg State University in Maryland and is certified as both an Information Systems Auditor and Internal Auditor. In his spare time, Mr. Scott enjoys cooking and traveling.