Richard Kline (businessman)

Richard Kline (businessman)

Richard Kline is a University of Virginia graduate, entrepreneur, Virginia Beach businessman and civic leader. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Kline was accepted into the General Motors Institute (now known as Kettering University) in Flint, Michigan.

In 1964, he started his company, RK Chevrolet, also known as RK Auto, becoming one of the country’s youngest Chevrolet dealers.

In 1973, Kline was chosen to serve on the board of directors of the newly restructured First & Merchants National Bank of Tidewater.

In 1973, in his position as the President of the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce, he founded the Neptune Festival. This festival honors the unique heritage of the Virginia Beach area and is now one of the top ten festivals on the east coast of the United States.

During his tenure as Chamber of Commerce president, the new central headquarters for the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce was built on Virginia Beach Boulevard. Richard Kline has served as chairperson of the Virginia Beach Industrial Authority and Honorary Chairman of the Virginia Beach Heart Fund. Kline also created the Kline Endowment for Cardiovascular Research and the Kline Endowment for Prostate Cancer Research, both through the Eastern Virginia Medical School.