Arlington County taps new economic development director

Following a nationwide search, Arlington County has named Anna Nissinen of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority as its new chief economic development officer and director of Arlington Economic Development.

Currently senior vice president at FCEDA, Nissinen will lead Arlington’s long-term economic strategy. She is slated to begin June 29 and succeeds Ryan Touhill, who left after accepting a position in Phoenix, Arizona, in November 2025. Arlington Deputy Director Katharine Ange has served as acting director since Touhill’s departure.

“I am excited to welcome Anna to Arlington,” County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a statement Thursday. “She brings a combination of global economic development experience in the region, strategic vision, collaborative leadership and a deep understanding of how innovation economies evolve that will help propel Arlington forward.”

Her hiring comes as Arlington grapples with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies and evolving workforce expectations, officials noted. In recent years, the county has become home to Amazon.com’s HQ2 and the headquarters of contracting giants Boeing and RTX, as well as real estate data company CoStar Group, which moved its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Arlington in 2025.

In a statement, Nissinen said she was “honored” to join Arlington’s team and “build on the strong foundation already in place.”

“The opportunity now is to build on that progress by ensuring strong alignment across the core drivers of long-term economic competitiveness,” she said. “I look forward to working alongside county leadership, the exceptional team at Arlington Economic Development, partners across the region and the broader community to advance a bold and shared vision for Arlington’s future.”

Schwartz praised Ange for helping ensure a smooth transition while the county searched for Touhill’s permanent replacement.

A native of Finland, Nissinen previously was FCEDA’s vice president of marketing and communications. During her tenure with the Fairfax EDA, the organization has supported more than 35,000 jobs, 5.5 million square feet of leasing activity and over $5 billion in earned media.

She also worked as Fairfax County’s chief of communications, marketing and transportation demand management and was public affairs and communications officer for Loudoun County. Earlier in her career, Nissinen was media relations coordinator at the United States’ Embassy of Finland.

Nissinen has an MBA in strategy from the University of Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in international business from Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration. She also received training from Cornell University in real estate development, finance and investing.