WANADA is honored to welcome Kelley Smith as the new Executive Director of the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. Kelley brings more than a decade of leadership experience in administrative law, professional licensing, and regulatory policy within the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is a licensed attorney and has served in multiple senior executive roles overseeing complex regulatory and compliance frameworks.
Most recently, from 2023 to 2026, Kelley served as Executive Director for the Boards of Barbers & Cosmetology and Hearing Aid Specialists & Opticians at the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). In that role, she directed board operations, advanced regulatory policy, and ensured compliance with state law. Her leadership included Virginia’s adoption of the Cosmetology Compact, and she was elected Treasurer of the Interstate Cosmetology Compact Commission. In fall 2025, she also participated in Virginia’s Commonwealth Leadership Academy.
Prior to DPOR, Kelley served for more than a decade as Deputy Executive Director for multiple boards at the Virginia Department of Health Professions, where she managed credentialing, disciplinary, inspection, and audit programs. Earlier in her career, she practiced law at a mid-sized Richmond firm, representing clients in both state and federal courts. She holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University and a J.D. from the University of Richmond.
The Board has indicated that Kelley’s leadership will emphasize innovative digital transformation initiatives and continued strong regulatory stewardship.
Additionally, MVDB has new communication procedures dealers should be aware of. To improve response times and ensure inquiries are routed to the correct staff immediately, the MVDB has implemented a new, streamlined email system. Dealers should use the appropriate email address below based on the nature of their inquiry:
Licensing & Dealer Plates
For all dealership and salesperson license applications and dealer plate requests: dboardlicensing@mvdb.virginia.gov
Use for: All license applications (initial, renewals, salesperson) and all dealer plate applications
Complaints & Advertising Regulation
For consumer or dealer complaints and advertising compliance matters: dboardcomplaints@mvdb.virginia.gov
Use for: Consumer complaints, responses to complaint notices, and advertising regulation inquiries
Civil Penalties & Transaction Recovery Fund
dboard@mvdb.virginia.gov
Use for: civil penalty payments, Board action compliance, temporary closures, surety bonds, and Transaction Recovery Fund questions
Dealer Reminders
- Using the correct email address will help prevent processing delays caused by internal forwarding
- All attachments should be submitted in PDF format
- Include your dealer certificate number in the subject line to expedite handling
- These contact emails are also listed on the MVDB website under the “Contact Us” section
WANADA will continue to monitor developments at the MVDB and keep members informed of regulatory updates that affect dealership operations.
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