A New Era Under d’Entremont? ADALB Chair Comes Armed with Research and Opinions

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Under the leadership of newly appointed Chairman Donald E. d’Entremont, the May 12 meeting of the Auto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board (ADALB) signaled a noticeable shift in tone and direction.

In just the second meeting over which he has presided, d’Entremont came prepared with research, strong viewpoints and a willingness to engage deeply in every discussion – from policy matters to complaint reviews – indicating his intent to take a far more active and involved approach moving forward.

d’Entremont asked questions about the Part II exams, weighed in on amendments and shared his thoughts on the proposed advisory ruling; however, the most noticeable difference between him and his predecessor was highlighted during the review of complaints.

Over the course of the meeting, the ADALB tabled three complaints and reviewed 11. Of those 11 reviewed complaints, four were unanimously dismissed (one of those without prejudice), and four received unanimous votes to move forward, though Smith abstained on one of those. An additional three disputes were dismissed based on majority votes.

While the outcome didn’t differ much from past complaint reviews, the preamble highlighted the differences between d’Entremont and his predecessor – not only did the Chairman cast votes in situations where a lack of tie precluded the need for him to do so, he facilitated the discussion of each dispute, starting with an explanation of the basis for the complaint and an expression of his initial thoughts on the matter!

He referenced specific sections of 212 CMR 2.00 et seq., came prepared to defend his viewpoints and even prefaced discussions by expressing his proclivity to dismiss or move forward. When d’Entremont was inclined to dismiss a complaint, it was most frequently due to a lack of support for the complaint, and he stressed the importance of keeping accurate notes. “Document, document. Tell us they gave you a date, no one showed up on that date and as a consequence, the car sat at the shop for two weeks, so the vehicle owner was charged with two weeks of storage.”

However, d’Entremont also noted that there are exceptions to every rule. “There could be circumstances where we look at the complaint and find it disturbing enough that we want to get feedback from the other side […] There are issues that transcend simple monetary issues, and some of those would be bad actors doing bad things, fraud, stuff like that.”

So far, the new Chairman has only participated in two ADALB meetings, but he has already demonstrated that he’ll be doing things differently. Will that result in a more effective Board? Only time will tell.

The ADALB is scheduled to reconvene on July 14 at 11am. Information pertaining to the ADALB’s meeting schedule and planned agenda is typically posted by the Friday prior to the meeting at bit.ly/ADALBagendas. Don’t miss detailed coverage of the meeting, only available in the may issue of MABA’s members-only newsletter, Damage Report.

MABA members are strongly encouraged to listen to the recording of the May 12 meeting in the Members Only portal at the top of the homepage at massautobody.org for a glimpse into the inner workings of the ADALB. View the meeting agenda at bit.ly/ADALB051226.

Want more? Check out the July 2026 issue of New England Automotive Report!