Garrison R. Coward is a native of Richmond, Virginia, born at St. Mary’s Hospital, and a proud product of Henrico County’s Short Pump Middle School and J.R. Tucker High School. He holds a degree in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College, a Master’s in Political Management from The George Washington University, and an MBA from The George Washington University School of Business.

Garrison currently serves as Chief Deputy Transformation Officer and Senior Advisor for External Affairs in the administration of Governor Glenn Youngkin. He previously held the role of Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before that, he was Campaign Manager and Senior Advisor to Governor Youngkin.

In the private sector, Garrison was Managing Director at Merger Partners, a middle-market investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of BizCents, a Richmond-based data analytics company.

Garrison’s public service includes roles as Political Advisor and Campaign Manager (2015–2018) to Congressman Rob Wittman, and earlier as Political Director and Deputy Director of Minority Engagement for the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the Executive Director of the Conservative Professionals Network, an organization dedicated to fostering a new generation of center-right public policy leaders.

Outside of work, Garrison enjoys reading, traveling, and playing basketball. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Activation Capital. His previous board service includes the Executive Committee of the Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation, the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Millennial Initiative, and the Board of Directors of BizCents. He also served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union.