Steve Owen

Steve served as a Virginia local government manager for over 38 years, including City Manager of Staunton - the birthplace of the council-manager form of government - from 2007 - 2019.  Previous positions include Town Manager of Herndon, County Administrator of Powhatan, Assistant County Administrator of Frederick, Town Manager of Berryville, Assistant Town Manager of Leesburg, and Town Clerk -Treasurer of Wakefield.  

Steve earned a BA in Government from the College of William and Mary, and a MA in Urban Planning from the University of Virginia.  He attended the Senior Executive Institute at the UVA. Steve has been an adjunct instructor in Virginia Tech’s MPA certificate program since 2016, edited the 2021 Virginia Municipal League’s Handbook for Mayors and Council Members, and is a facilitator in UVA’s LEAD program.

He is a past president and life member of the Virginia Local Government Management Association, a life member of the International City/County Management Association, past Treasurer of Virginia First Cities, and past board member of the VML-VACO Local Government Finance Corporation. 
Steve has been a speaker at ICMA, VLGMA, and VML conferences, UVA’s Center for Politics, UVA’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, James Madison University, and Mary Baldwin University.