New county finance director
By Madeline Otten
Correspondent
Fluvanna County found itself in need of a new finance director when Eric Dahl, former finance director and current deputy county administrator, began preparations to succeed County Administrator Steve Nichols upon his July 3 departure. Mary Anna Twisdale, who has worked for the county in several financial capacities, was ready and willing to step into the role.
Twisdale and her husband, Burt, initially moved to Fluvanna in 1999, but left a year later when her husband’s employer transferred him to Virginia Beach. They returned in 2013, and in July 2014 Twisdale landed her first job as management analyst in the county finance department.
Before settling in Fluvanna, Twisdale graduated from Old Dominion University with a bachelor of science in business administration. She worked as an internal service fund and procurement accountant for the City of Chesapeake as well as a management and budget analyst for the City of Virginia Beach. Both of these roles gave Twisdale financial experience in local government.
After her return to Fluvanna, Twisdale acquired many roles within the county. After starting out as a management analyst, she also earned the roles of financial services specialist and Child Services Act coordinator. In her various roles, she worked closely with both Nichols and Dahl to create and maintain the county’s budget. Both of these positions helped Twisdale gain hands–on experience within the finance department.
“I really enjoy budget,” she said. “It’s like a puzzle where you work to pull all of the pieces together to develop a financial plan for the county.”
Twice, in 2016 and 2018, Twisdale returned to Virginia Beach for family reasons, spending less than a year away each time. Upon both of her returns, Nichols told the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors how pleased he was to have her back due to the high quality of her work.
Now, as the director of finance, Twisdale oversees the finance department, which includes processing the county payroll, managing accounts payable, working with the budget, and completing various other financial assignments.
“The department has been run so well under Mr. Dahl, there are big shoes to fill,” said Twisdale. “Now that Steve Nichols, the previous county administrator, is retiring, Eric Dahl will be taking over that position. I feel the transition will be seamless.”
One of Twisdale’s main financial goals for Fluvanna government is to make sure the county is fiscally sound, or in other words, financially stable. Eventually, she would love to see the county have more economic growth to take some of the tax burden off the residents.
“I really love Fluvanna County and I have the best team in the world. Each member of the finance department works hard and brings their best every day,” said Twisdale. “During difficult times we work as a team and handle all situations professionally. I am lucky to work with dedicated people who are excellent problem solvers.”
Living in Virginia Beach for some time has impacted Twisdale. She enjoys the beach, whether it is the on the ocean or a lake. She also enjoys working in the yard and boating. She has been married to Burt for 25 years and has two stepchildren and three grandchildren.
