(Posted 2026 February)
About 65 current and former federal employees and contractors joined the first webinar in the new series Redefine Your Path: From Federal Expertise to Local Impact. The first webinar on February 3, 2026, explored how skills and federal experience in accounting, finance, contracting, and procurement can translate into careers in Virginia’s cities, counties, and towns.
Hosted by Fairfax County Department of Family Services (DFS) Workforce Development and the Virginia Local Government Management Association (VLGMA), in partnership with Virginia Tech, the session spotlighted growing hiring needs in local government and practical steps for job seekers affected by federal workforce changes.
Virginia’s 300+ local governments collectively employ upwards of 170,000 people, with more than 1,000 open positions, including dozens in finance, accounting, budget, and procurement.
Local Government Leaders Speak on Community-Focused Careers
Sara McGuffin, President of Virginia Local Government Management Association (VGLMA) and Town Manager of Amherst, VA opened the event, framing local government as a natural next step for federal professionals seeking meaningful, community-focused work.
Moderator Sheila Minor, Director of Finance for Henrico County, led a panel featuring Toni Jenkins, City Budget Manager for the City of Manassas Park; Cindy Mester, Community Relations and Legislative Affairs Director for the City of Falls Church; Andrew Janos, Deputy Director of Procurement for Fairfax County; and Jesse Ellis, Budget and Policy Analyst for Fairfax County. Panelists shared how their own careers evolved and what they look for when hiring. A core message was that federal workers are not starting from scratch—their experience matters. “Local government needs your experience, and we’re excited to help you bring it into our communities,” one speaker emphasized.
Local Government Needs Your Skills
Panelists stressed that core federal skills, such as managing budgets, overseeing contracts, analyzing financial data, and ensuring compliance, map directly to local finance, accounting, budget, and procurement roles. The challenge is translating those skills into local government language and context. One piece of advice: Translate federal jargon into local language. Replace agency- or regulation-specific acronyms with terms a city or county HR team will recognize. For example, describe your work as “managed competitive solicitations,” “oversaw contract performance,” or “prepared and monitored multi-million-dollar operating budgets.”
Know the Locality You’re Applying To
Several speakers underscored the importance of doing basic homework on the jurisdiction before applying or interviewing. One panelist shared that their city repeatedly sees applicants refer to the wrong locality, referring to the “City of Manassas” instead of “City of Manassas Park,” its neighboring jurisdiction—despite clear information on the website. The takeaway: learn the correct name, structure, and key issues of the locality, and be ready to speak about why you want to work there, not just “in local government” generally.
Tell a Clear Story About Your Experience
Speakers urged participants to move beyond generic descriptions of federal roles and instead highlight specific, locally relevant results—such as stewardship of public funds, transparency, audit readiness, and vendor performance. “Being able to show how your federal experience translates to what you’re hoping to be able to do… that’s what’s going to help you stand out,” one panelist noted. They recommended emphasizing times you handled multiple roles, worked with limited resources, or responded quickly to emerging needs, mirroring the realities of smaller local teams. In resumes and interviews, applicants should quantify their impact, including budgets managed, number and value of procurements, cost savings, or reduced audit findings. Local hiring managers want to see evidence that you can protect public funds and improve processes.
What’s Next
The webinar was the first in an ongoing series aimed at helping federal workers and contractors navigate career transitions and connect with local opportunities. Future webinars in the series will bring together local government leaders in fields such as IT, data security and analysis, human resources, and human services. Other upcoming events hosted by DFS Workforce Development include the Future Forward: Federal Talent Transition Career Fair on Thursday, February 26, an opportunity to connect federal talent with local employers who are actively hiring.
For job seekers with federal experience, the message was clear: local governments across Virginia need accounting, finance, budget, and procurement professionals, and federal experience, when clearly translated, localized, and presented, can be a direct path to impactful local careers.
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