Douglas Smith

Background

About Douglas Smith

Second retirement effective August 15, 2025, Douglas Smith was the Interim Director of Community Development and Building/Code Official for the City of Franklin, VA. Previously, Mr. Smith was the Building/Code Official and Director of Permits and Inspections for the City of Portsmouth. Prior to that, Mr. Smith was the Code Official for the Town of Cape Charles. In these positions, he is/was responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Va. Uniform Statewide Building Code, Va. Maintenance Code, Va. Fire Code, Floodplain Ordinance, and Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance. Mr. Smith also had 20 years experience in new construction inspections and plan review for the City of Virginia Beach. He has over 40 years of experience in municipal code enforcement which includes over 20 years as the senior executive in charge of code administration. Over his career, Mr. Smith served as Vice Chair for Virginia Building Code Officials Association Region 8 (2010-2012). He was also responsible for the implementation of Portsmouth’s Derelict Structures Program, an initiative that won the 2012 Virginia Municipal League Achievement Award. In 2016, Mr. Smith was selected the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials Administrator of the Year. In 2019, Mr. Smith guided the Portsmouth Dept. of Permits and Inspections to an ISO Building Code Effectiveness Grading Scale improvement from a '4' to a '2' for both commercial and residential components. That score was tied for the highest in Virginia. This dramatic improvement demonstrates the Department's commitment to resiliency in the face of man-made and natural disaster. Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Old Dominion University, and he was the 30th person to earn the prestigious Master Code Official certification from Building Officials and Code Administrators; International. Mr. Smith also holds over 50 state and national credentials common to the code enforcement industry to include ASFPM Floodplain Manager, Virginia Association of Zoning Officials- Zoning Administrator, and Virginia Fire Official.