Matt de Ferranti

Chair, Arlington County Board

Chair Matt de Ferranti’s career, first as a teacher in a low-income community in Houston and later as a lawyer, has been dedicated to helping people build better lives for themselves and their children. As an attorney, Matt 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.

First elected to the Arlington County Board in November 2018, Matt was unanimously elected as Chair of the County Board by his colleagues on January 4, 2021, and then again on January 5, 2026. In addition, Matt was elected in January 2024 to serve a one-year term as the Chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. In 2025, Matt was elected Chair of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission in June, and he was appointed to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board in July.  

Matt began serving on Arlington County’s Housing Commission in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed to the Arlington Public Schools Budget Advisory Council, where he served as Chair in 2017-2018. Matt also served on the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission, which brings Arlington County, Arlington Public Schools, and the community together to plan for our future. 

A 2015 Leadership Arlington graduate, 2016 graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, and 2017 graduate of Arlington Neighborhood College, Matt grew up in neighboring McLean and lives in the Rock Spring neighborhood with his wife, Brooke, and their daughter, son, and dog.