County Board Elects New Chair & Vice-Chair, Shares 2026 Priorities
Published on January 06, 2026
The Arlington County Board held its annual Organizational Meeting Monday, January 5, 2026, electing Matt de Ferranti as Board Chair and Maureen Coffey as Vice-Chair. The Board also approved the meeting schedule and procedures for the year and designated many residents to serve in its Commissions and Advisory Group system. Changes to meeting procedures are detailed below.
Chair de Ferranti was first elected to the Arlington County Board in November 2018 and previously served as its Chair in 2021. His career in public service first began when he was a teacher in a low-income community in Houston, Texas, and later as an attorney who worked on land use and economic development issues for local governments. He subsequently served as an advocate for economic and educational equity at Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, the Education Trust, and the National Indian Education Association.
Vice-Chair Coffey was first elected in November 2023. She is the youngest person to serve on the Arlington County Board, and the youngest to hold the position of Vice-Chair. Previously, Coffey worked on the Early Childhood Policy team at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and at the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). In 2021, she was appointed by Governor Ralph Northam to serve on Virginia's Family and Children's Trust, a group focused on prevention and treatment of family violence.
Remarks and Priorities
Chair de Ferranti framed the impacts of federal decision-making in 2025, and likely to come in 2026, as a “Midnight” moment for Arlington, referencing Dr. King’s sermon, A Knock at Midnight. “Our values, peace of mind, and, indeed, our people are under attack,” said de Ferranti, “but, as we start 2026, I am confident Arlington will meet this moment, see a new dawn, and feel joy again”. To act on this, he shared four policy priorities for 2026:
- Policies that stabilize our economy and position us for recovery and growth;
- Protecting and serving our most vulnerable;
- Keeping our community safe by delivering essential services; and
- Protecting the investments that make Arlington a great place to live—our environment, our schools, and our children.
Vice-Chair Maureen Coffey called for a year of courageous and caring leadership to face the upcoming challenges. “There is no hiding that we have a very difficult year ahead of us,” Coffey stated. “We must, above all else, prioritize the care and welfare of people. It is the responsibility of government to protect those who need protecting, to help those who do not have the resources or the power to do it themselves.”
Board members also provided individual remarks on their goals and strategies for 2026. The following excerpts reflect just portions of individual remarks and priorities, and full remarks and video are available on the County Board’s bio webpage:
Board member Susan Cunningham emphasized housing. “We have more homes than households, but far from enough for-sale homes and deeply affordable rentals. Expanded Housing Options (EHO) has been a distraction for too long. I look forward to the courts deciding the appeals, so we can shift from litigation to rebuilding relationships and revising policy to create the homes we need,” said Cunningham. “2026 will be the year we reboot Housing Arlington. In doing so, we need to be bold.”
Board member Julius D. “JD” Spain, Sr. spoke to his commitment toward addressing affordability. “Arlington is a diverse, multicultural community of more than 243,000 people, yet too many families, workers, seniors, and early career professionals are struggling to keep up with rising costs,” said Spain, Sr. “The affordability crisis demands leadership that is courageous, disciplined, and values-driven—and we cannot afford to leave anyone behind.”
Board member Takis Karantonis shared his prioritized focus on economic resiliency in 2026. “This is absolutely paramount: Arlington is a place of opportunity,” began Karantonis, “and it thrives when it welcomes employers and entrepreneurs as well as the best skilled workforce in our Nation. We need to re-calibrate and strengthen our commitment to small businesses—who employ one out of three Arlingtonians!”
Watch the 2026 County Board Organizational Meeting or read full individual Board member remarks on priorities for the New Year on the County Board webpage.
CHANGES TO THE CY2026 BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES
The Board also approved several changes, detailed below, to Board meeting procedures to better the predictability of Board meetings and to ensure ample time for staff supporting and coordinating Board meetings.
Saturday Regular Board meetings
- The deadline for advanced online signup for Public Comment will now be Friday at 3PM, the day before the meeting.
- In-person signup for Public Comment will now close at 9AM on the morning of the regular meeting.
Tuesday Recessed Board Meetings
- Tuesday Recessed Board meetings will now begin at 3PM, rather than 1:30PM, and will follow this structure: Board and County Manager reports first, followed by recognitions, appointments, a closed session, and then a dinner break before moving on to Regular and pulled Consent Agenda items.
- At those same Recessed Board meetings, Regular hearing items will now be heard first at 6:30 PM followed by items pulled from the Saturday Consent Agenda.
View the Arlington County Board's 2026 Meeting Procedures for more information.
OPEN TOWNHALL MEETINGS AND OPEN DOOR MONDAYS
The Board also voted to maintain the current one speaker per topic rule for its Public Comment section of the Saturday meetings. Public Comment allows residents the ability to raise issues or concerns not currently listed on the agenda. This rule will remain to ensure an efficient meeting for hearing items scheduled for Saturday.
However, in response to requests from the community to create a dedicated forum, the Board has scheduled townhall meetings in 2026, which will differ from weekly Open Door Monday (ODM) office hours, in that all five Board members will attend jointly. Unlike Public Comment at Board meetings, multiple members of the public will be able to speak on the same topic.
The Board also added double the number of in-person Open Door Monday sessions for 2026, and sessions will now run from 6 to 8PM, except on holidays, and in August and December, or where a previously scheduled County Board Office commitment conflicts. Open Door Mondays are an informal opportunity for Arlingtonians to chat one-on-one or in small groups with a County Board Member. Board Members take turns hosting Open Door Mondays throughout the year.
Learn more about Open Door Mondays, the 2026 ODM Schedule, and how to register.
ADVISORY GROUPS DESIGNATIONS AND REGIONAL APPOINTMENTS
The County Board designated over 20 Arlingtonians to serve as Chairs and Co-Chairs in the Board’s advisory groups and commissions. County Board members were also appointed to serve as liaisons between the Board and individual commissions. The advisory group and commission system is a crucial resource to the Arlington County Board, as hundreds of volunteer commissioners work with County staff and the community to provide input to the Arlington County Board on a variety of issues throughout the year.
The Board also appointed individual Board members to represent Arlington on several regional bodies. These include: the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), the Virginia Municipal League (VML), and the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (WMCOG) and its independent policy boards and committees.
View the Commissions Chair Designations and Regional Liaison Appointments.
View the County Board member Advisory Group and Regional Liaison Assignments.