Summary

Chief Financial Officer Kiran Bawa is exiting the City’s employment to return to Piedmont, California, where she will become finance director.

Kudos for Bawa

Kiran Bawa, chief financial officer for the City for the past eight years, is returning to Piedmont, California, as finance director effective July 2, 2025. Ms. Bawa came to Falls Church from Piedmont in April 2017 and has overseen the City’s accounting, financial analysis and reporting, capital financing, debt management, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, purchasing, and real estate assessments.

Ms. Bawa “has been a tremendous member of our team,” City Manager Wyatt Shields told the City Council at the May 12, 2025 meeting where Council approved the Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund budget, including the schools and general government and capital plan, of $133,259,318 and a penny reduction in the tax rate to $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. [See Pulse post, Adopted FY2026 Budget Shaves a Penny Off the Tax Rate, May 16, 2025.]

Mr. Shields credited Ms. Bawa with architecting the bond referendum to finance the new $120 million high school, maintaining the City’s AAA bond ratings, and crafting the revenue sharing agreement between the general government and the schools with former Falls Church City Public Schools CFO Kristen Michael.

“I deeply appreciate the opportunity” to work in this City, Ms. Bawa said in response to praise from Mr. Shields and members of the City Council, who, in the words of Council Member Marybeth Connelly, agreed that she has “really raised the bar for us.” Ms. Bawa thanked the staff and the Council for the collaboration, support, and friendships she has found here.

Back to the future

When she was named to her present position, Ms. Bawa replaced previous Falls Church CFO Richard La Condre who retired in November 2016. In moving to California, Ms. Bawa again is replacing a retiring colleague, former Finance Director Mike Szczech, and returning to the position she previously held from 2016 to 2017.

In a press release, Piedmont Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen said, “We are incredibly fortunate to have her stepping into this role. Kiran shares our priorities of fiscal responsibility, transparency and public engagement. In addition to her depth of experience, she is already familiar with our community and will be able to hit the ground running.”

Prior to joining Piedmont’s management team in 2016, Ms. Bawa served as budget director for the City of Oakland, California, and before that was manager of capital planning and grants at AC Transit.