David Kelly was appointed Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by President George W. Bush on September, 2, 2008. Previously, Kelly was the agency’s Chief of Staff, serving as the top advisor to Administrator Nicole Nason. In that capacity, Kelly managed the day-to-day operations of a 600-person, $800 million budget.

Prior to joining NHTSA in July of 2006, Kelly was an integral member of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s senior management, serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs. Kelly represented the Department with congressional offices and served as liaison with state and local officials for the Secretary of Transportation.

Kelly has dedicated his career to making our nation's roads safer. A long-time safety advocate, he was the Director of the National Safety Council's Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign. While at the Council, he directed the legislative activities in dozens of states, advocating primary seat belt bills across the country, as well as overseeing the daily activities of the campaign. He has also held several leadership positions with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Kelly obtained his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York and his master of public administration degree from the City University of New York.