After serving the Town of Vienna for a quarter of a century, Marion Serfass is ready to see new sights.
She will work her final day as the town’s finance director tomorrow (Friday) after announcing plans last month to retire. Deputy Director of Finance Steven Barlow is set to succeed Serfass, starting Monday (Dec. 23).
“I’ve loved serving our residents and I’ve had the pleasure of working with a great caliber of people during my time in Vienna,” Serfass said in a press release. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and I feel confident leaving the department in good hands, with the right people and systems in place.”
Serfass first joined Vienna’s town government in November 1999 after previously working in the private sector, including as a public accountant for Ernst & Young and a regional controller for Marriott International’s retirement community division, Inside NoVA previously reported.
She served as deputy director of finance for 17 years before getting promoted to the director role in October 2016. Her appointment came about after her predecessor, Karen Spence, left over a dispute about the town slowing down the implementation of new software for the finance department, according to Inside NoVA.
As finance director, Serfass has been responsible for overseeing the town’s budget, which has climbed from around $33 million in 2016 to $53.8 million with the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget adopted this past May. She also helped develop the town’s plan for capital improvement projects and obtain financing.
Highlights of her tenure include a push to modernize the finance department and make its operations more efficient, according to a press release from the town.
Among other changes, the town now has online options that residents can use to pay their real estate taxes, water and sewer bills, and permit fees. Those functions are scheduled to move to a new payment portal that will launch on Jan. 6, 2025.
“When I arrived, there was no voicemail here at Town Hall and hardly anyone used email,” Serfass said. “We’ve come a long way since then. Finance is cyclical, but we’re constantly trying to evolve and innovate systems and processes, and our department has worked hard to bring us into the 21st century.”
The Town of Vienna also credits Serfass for playing a crucial role in some of its most significant capital projects over the past eight years, including the construction of its new police station and coordination with Fairfax County on the planned library expansion and parking garage.
Most recently, Serfass has been involved in discussions about whether to increase the town’s meal tax rate to fund a new aquatics and fitness facility on the former Faith Baptist Church property at 301 Center Street South.
After a public hearing in November, the town council decided at its Dec. 9 meeting to defer a vote on the proposal to Jan. 27, 2025 so staff could further research the facility’s potential long-term operational costs. Before voting, the council is expected to discuss the project in a work session on Jan. 21.
According to the Town of Vienna, Serfass plans to spend her retirement volunteering, traveling and spending time with family and friends in York, Pennsylvania, where she will live with her husband.
Serfass isn’t the only department head to step away from the town this year. Economic development director Natalie Guilmeus left in October for a job in Virginia Beach. Her position is being filled on an acting basis by Vienna Planning and Zoning Deputy Director Kelly O’Brien, but no permanent successor has been named yet.
