Neslie Birch

Nelsie L. Birch recently served as a Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Midsummer Studios, a venture-backed game development company, where she led operational strategy, financial structuring, and organizational development as the company scaled from concept to live product. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer for the County of Albemarle, Virginia, overseeing all financial operations for an organization of approximately 4,800 employees and modernizing core financial systems while maintaining the County’s AAA bond rating. Her prior public sector service includes Director of Agency Operations and Chief of Staff in the Office of the City Administrator for the District of Columbia, Director of the Office of Management and Budget for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Principal Program Assessment Analyst for the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Earlier in her career, she worked in municipal finance as an Associate Director with Fitch Ratings and a management intern with the City of Highland Park, Illinois. 

Nelsie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Knox College and her Master of Public Administration in Urban Management from Northern Illinois University. She is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. 

In addition to her executive leadership roles, Nelsie served as Founder and President of BIRCHbark Strategic Consulting, advising local governments and civic organizations on fiscal strategy, operational performance, and organizational transformation. She also taught strategic leadership and finance/budget as an Adjunct Instructor with the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership and has served in civic and philanthropic leadership roles including as a County-appointed Board Member for the Charlottesville- Albemarle SPCA.

Nelsie resides in Albemarle County with her husband and 3 dogs.