William Leighty

Partner, Decide Smart LLC. Former Director, Government Performance Initiative, Virginia Commonwealth University; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia. Positions with Commonwealth of Virginia: Chief of Staff, Governor Mark Warner; Director, Virginia Retirement System; Assistant Director, Governor's Commission on Government Reform; Deputy Secretary of Transportation; Senior Economist and Analyst, Senate Finance Committee.
Bill Leighty has had a remarkable career in public service and academia. Since 2017, he has been serving as the Senior Advisor to the Dean at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2017 he played a crucial role in the passage of the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act. Before his current role, Mr. Leighty was a Professor of Practice at the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech from 2013 to 2017. He also directed the Government Performance Initiative at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2008 to 2013. From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Leighty served as the Chief of Staff to the Governor and Tribal Liaison in the Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to that, he was the Director of the Virginia Retirement System from 1995 to 2002 and the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles from 1991 to 1995.Mr. Leighty’s earlier roles include serving as the Deputy Secretary of Transportation in the Office of the Governor from 1986 to 1991, a Senior Economist and Analyst for the Senate Finance Committee from 1978 to 1980, and an Economist for the Department of Taxation from 1978 to 1980. Mr. Leighty has always demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and has made significant contributions to government performance and policy.