Housing authority board fires executive director

FAYETTEVILLE — The board of the Fayetteville Housing Authority fired the organization’s executive director at a meeting that began Thursday evening and ended early Friday morning.

The board voted 4-0 to fire Angela Belford, who became executive director in 2019. The meeting started at 5 p.m. Thursday, with all five board members voting to go into executive session. The board reconvened publicly about 3 a.m. Friday.

Commissioner Ezra Brashears, the resident representative of the board, announced the motion to fire Belford without cause, and all four members still in attendance voted in favor. Members are Brashears, Monique Jones, Melissa Terry and Lucky McMahon.

Board Chairwoman Kristen Bensinger left the meeting about 2 a.m. because she had work obligations to take care of that morning, she said.

Jones, who serves as vice chairwoman, on Tuesday released a statement saying the board made its decision based on “consideration of the current and future needs” of the organization.

“A search for a new executive director will begin promptly,” Jones said in the statement.

Deputy Director John Berry is serving as interim director.

Berry was made interim director Feb. 26 following a board decision to investigate complaints against Belford made by public-housing residents and former and current staff members, Bensinger said. The board suspended Belford with pay during the weeklong investigation.

Belford said she had no comment, based on advice from her attorney.

The board hired Belford as interim director in late October 2018, following its firing of former Executive Director Deniece Smiley in September 2018. At the time, Belford served as board chairwoman for the Northwest Arkansas Continuum of Care, a regional coalition of service providers for homeless or at-risk residents. The Housing Authority board made Belford executive director in March 2019.

Belford