Michael Halford is Guilford County's County Manager, a position he has held since January 2021. Halford has more than 30 years of budget and finance experience in North Carolina county and municipal local governments. Prior to returning to Guilford County as County Manager, Halford served as assistant county manager in Gaston County from May through December 2020 and budget director in Guilford County from November 2005 to April 2020. Halford holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a Master of Public Administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.