Press Release
The Housing Authority of the City of Charleston is announcing the retirement of President & Chief Executive Officer Donald Cameron. Cameron joined the Authority in 1975 and was promoted to CEO in 1980. Cameron will retire in December 2021 and serve in an advisory capacity through 2022.
Cameron announced his retirement to the Authority's Board of Commissioners and highlighted the organization's tremendous progress in the decades since he joined. During Cameron's tenure, the Authority, with guidance from the Board, underwent a top-to-bottom restructuring, added thousands of residential units for low-income residents, and placed several properties on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the organization has been recognized through awards and publications for its work in public housing and most recently began the process to renovate existing properties and expand capacity through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program through HUD.
“Don Cameron has dedicated the last 47 years to transforming our Housing Authority from simply a provider of safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, to a nationally-recognized creator of accessible, attractive, and energy-efficient rental homes for our citizens of low and moderate income,” said Housing Authority Board Chair Edward Kronsberg. “Unassuming and modest, Don has worked closely with Mayors Riley and Tecklenburg, and together, the City and Housing Authority, have been innovative leaders in establishing, renovating, and maintaining dozens of affordable rental home developments. The Housing Authority, its residents and staff, as well as the City and all its citizens, have been fortunate to have benefited from the unselfish brilliance of Don Cameron. He will be missed, but Don has left us in very competent and well-trained hands.”
“With our new Chief Operating Officer and Director of Development, we are in a good place to step up our current efforts like RAD but those two positions are also key to the future of the Authority,” said Cameron. “I chose to retire now because we have the right people in place to continue our mission.”
Cameron will be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Arthur Milligan who joined the Authority in April 2021 and received unanimous Board approval as the new CEO. Milligan, a Goose Creek native and Citadel graduate, has been an agent of positive change and is known for his personal outreach to Authority residents. His past experience includes serving in leadership roles for housing authorities in Rocky Mount and Winston-Salem, N.C., Tampa, F.L., and New Orleans, L.A., and leading private sector businesses.
“I'm honored to be given the opportunity to build on the great legacy that Don Cameron has created in providing decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing to low and moderate income citizens of the City of Charleston,” said Milligan. “These are very big shoes to fill, but with the ongoing counsel of Don and our Board of Commissioners, I'm excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our organization as we continue to serve our community.”
