Doug Smith

Doug Smith joined the Hampton Roads Alliance as President & CEO in September of 2019. He oversees the staff of business development, business intelligence and marketing professionals and leads the operations of the region’s economic development organization that represents 11 municipalities and over 70 private sector investors. Doug and the entire Alliance staff work closely with the state and local governments and the private sector to assist international and domestic companies with investment projects, expansions and relocations.

Doug, a native of Portsmouth, has lived and worked in Hampton Roads for the majority of his life. He was appointed as City Manager in the City of Norfolk in June 2017 after serving in the position for seven months as interim. His previous public sector experiences include serving as Deputy City Manager in the City of Virginia Beach and as Deputy City Manager, Chief Plans and Policy Officer, and Economic Development Director in the City of Portsmouth. In 2006, he was elected to Portsmouth City Council where he served four years and gained regional experience as commissioner for the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

In the private sector, Doug served as President & CEO of Kaufman & Canoles Consulting, where he counseled national and local developers, municipalities, higher education institutions and corporations. Doug began his career in 1985 as a banker at First Union Bank (now part of Wells Fargo) where he worked for 12 years and in his last role there, he managed 31 offices across Hampton Roads.

Smith is a graduate of Norfolk Academy and earned a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia. He held previous positions as Vice Chair on the Alliance’s Board of Directors, Chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Hampton Roads and Chair of Future of Hampton Roads.