Vienna Announces First-Ever Economic Development Manager​

VIENNA, VA — The Town of Vienna has announced the hiring of its first economic development manager. Natalie Monkou was previously business development manager in Arlington County and was part of the teams that helped land Amazon's second headquarters.

Monkou was a liaison between the county and three business improvement districts during her four years in the Arlington County role. Aside from helping attract Amazon, she helped bring the March of Dimes and Nestle to the region. Before working in Arlington, Monkou was the special assistant to Prince George’s County’s deputy chief of economic development. An Annandale resident, she has an undergraduate degree in English and a master’s degree in public administration, both from the University of Maryland.

Her first priority in Vienna is embarking on a listening tour in the business community. "I need to understand what has come before me and what expectations, needs, and concerns are out there," she said in a statement. "I plan to get feedback from as many community stakeholder groups as possible."

A key challenge will be keeping Vienna competitive and economically strong as the DC region transforms. Town Manager Mercury Payton hopes Monkou can help build relationships with property owners and prospective businesses as well as collaborate with Fairfax County's economic development office.

"This is an exciting time for the Town," said Payton. "Having a strong person in this new and critical function may be a catalyst to achieving levels of success that the Town hasn’t yet experienced."