Indeed, Ganeriwala has almost 30 years of public service under her belt. She was appointed to her current postion in 2009, at the height of the recession, by then-Gov. Tim Kaine. Virginia was one of a handful of states to maintain its AAA bond rating through the crisis and among the first to bounce back. Ganeriwala says Virginia’s fiscally conservative budgeting, healthy savings account and a cap on debt were key factors in the rebound.
In 2013, Ganeriwala was elected as president of the National Association of State Treasurers, where she became a national voice lobbying to protect municipal bonds’ tax-exempt status, among other issues affecting states’ day-to-day finances. Ganeriwala, who was born in India, was the first woman in her family to go to college. She says her mother, who has a 6th grade education, was her biggest supporter in allowing her to finish school and obtain a graduate degree.
MORE: Read about the Women in Government Leadership Program and the rest of the 2015 honorees.
