As of this morning, the Wilmington Housing Authority is in new hands. Following CEO Michael Krause’s arrest Sunday for driving with a blood alcohol level measuring more than four times the legal limit, the Authority’s board of commissioners has terminated him. The charge marked Krause’s second DWI since taking the position in 2008. Vernice Hamilton, the Authority’s director of human resources, will step up as interim CEO.
The mood at the Housing Authority was somber throughout the special meeting the board held to determine Krause’s fate. After almost two hours, a visibly disturbed Jeff Hovis, chair of the board, issued the commissioners’ decision.
"We have terminated the contract with Michael Krause as the Housing Authority CEO. Michael Krause has done incredible things for this community and that should not be forgotten. The situation is a personal crisis, and we wish him the best, and hope that everyone else will provide him the privacy and the support that he deserves. This has been a difficult decision, and we as an Authority know our obligation to our staff, to the community, to our residents and that is our number one concern. "
The decision is effective immediately. The only commissioner to vote against Krause’s termination was Helayne Levy.