Commissioner Veronica Blount has stepped down as the chairperson of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
Blount stepped down during a special meeting this week, according to a statement from the board on Saturday. Until a new chair is elected, Neil Kessler, the vice chair, will serve as acting chair. The statement also says the board intends to ask Kessler to finish out Blount’s term, which ends in October.
Blount is still a member of the board, she simply won’t have the authority role. She also said she plans to remain on the Family Self Sufficiency Coordinating Committee.
“It has been an honor to serve as the board chair, however, I will be embarking on some new community engagement activities which will enable me to be much more useful to residents and community stakeholders and provide more support,” she said in the release. “I will continue to be an active commissioner and will now be able participate, vote, and chair on standing committees.”
The announcement comes after a closed meeting on Wednesday night, where they declined to discuss why the closed door session was called. They said the agency would send a release later.
It also comes as the board is searching for a permanent CEO, and moves to demolish and redevelop Creighton Court.
