Natwar M. Gandhi

Natwar M. Gandhi is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the District of Columbia and is responsible for the city’s finances, including its approximately $7 billion in annual operating and capital funds. He was first appointed to this position by Mayor Anthony Williams June 7, 2000, re-appointed by Mayor Williams to a full five-year term in 2002, re-appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty in January 2007, and re-appointed by Mayor Vincent Gray in June, 2012 and confirmed by the City Council. 

As the independent CFO, Gandhi manages the District’s financial operations, which include more than 1,000 staff members in tax and revenue administration; the treasury, comptroller and budget offices; economic/fiscal analysis and revenue estimation functions; agency financial operations; and the DC Lottery. He works closely with congressional committees and the US Office of Management and Budget staff that oversee District affairs. He also regularly interacts with the Wall Street financial community, including rating agencies, regarding the District’s financial matters.

Gandhi has built on the District’s financial progress by securing multiple rating upgrades (a total of 14 rating steps since FY2000) from the major rating agencies for its general obligation bonds, which are currently rated AA- by Standard and Poor’s, AA- by Fitch Ratings and Aa2 by Moody’s Investors Service. These are the highest ratings ever assigned to the District of Columbia’s general obligation bonds. In 2009, Standard & Poor’s assigned a rating of AAA to the District’s inaugural offering of income tax revenue bonds, which are rated AA+ by Fitch and Aa1 by Moody’s.

As CFO, Gandhi sits on the boards of the Washington Convention and Sports Authority and Destination DC.

In 2007, Gandhi was named one of Governing magazine’s 2007 Public of Officials of the Year and Washingtonian magazine’s 150 most powerful public officials. He was also named one of Washingtonian magazine’s 2006 Washingtonians of the Year and was a recipient of the Association of Government Accountants’ (AGA) 2007 Distinguished Local Government Leadership Award. His other honors include The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Meritorious Leadership Award (Inaugural Recipient) and the DC Chamber of Commerce Impact Award in 2005, as well as Achievement of the Year Awards from the AGA (National chapter in 2000 and Washington, DC, chapter in 1999). He also received the President’s Award from the Greater Washington Society of CPAs in 2000, and Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Awards from the GAO.

In 2005, the National Academy of Public Administration elected Gandhi as a fellow for his “sustained exemplary contributions and continuing active commitment to the improvement of public administration.” He is also a member of the Metropolitan Club of Washington, DC.

Gandhi holds a doctorate in accounting from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in business administration from Atlanta University, and an LLB and BCom in accounting from the University of Bombay.