Brunswick Housing Authority Fires Executive Director Chris Baisden

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Brunswick Housing Authority is once again undergoing a major leadership change. Its Board of Commissioners voted Monday to fire Executive Director Chris Baisden, according to reporting by The Current GA.

The specific reason for Baisden's dismissal has not been made public, but Board Chair Kamau Dickerson characterized the change as a positive step for the organization and the community. "It's nothing to be concerned about. It actually will make things much better," Dickerson told The Current. He declined to disclose the reason behind the board's decision, citing confidentiality. Baisden had not publicly responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.

Lisa Dickerson, who is not related to the board chairman, has been appointed interim executive director. According to Kamau Dickerson, she has approximately four decades of experience in housing and had been working at the Brunswick Housing Authority as head of housing for about two months before being selected for the interim position.

Years of controversy

The change comes after years of controversy and operational challenges at an agency responsible for providing housing assistance to some of Brunswick's most vulnerable families. In 2023, then-board Chairman William Kitts and Executive Director William Baker left their positions following a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report that accused former leadership of misspending funds and improperly charging residents fees.

Baisden, a former tax attorney who previously served as an assistant attorney general in Florida, became the Housing Authority's executive director in 2023. He inherited an organization already facing significant problems, but serious housing challenges continued during his tenure.

In March 2025, The Current reported that roughly one out of every eight of the authority's 763 federally subsidized rental units was vacant while the waiting list exceeded 1,000 people. Baisden said at the time that the agency did not have sufficient funding to issue additional vouchers to qualified tenants.

The Housing Authority also became involved in a prolonged dispute with Hand in Hand of Glynn over 60 project-based vouchers that previous leadership had committed to the local housing organization. HUD approved the request, but Baisden challenged that determination, arguing that Hand in Hand did not have services in place that he believed were necessary to justify the project-based vouchers.

The woman now temporarily taking the helm also has previous executive leadership experience. In October 2024, Kansas City television station KSHB reported that Lisa Dickerson resigned as executive director of the Lee's Summit Housing Authority in Missouri before completing a full year in the position. The reason for that resignation was not publicly disclosed.

What residents are watching for

Now the Brunswick Housing Authority enters another period of transition. For residents, the larger issue is not simply who occupies the executive director's office, but whether this leadership change produces measurable improvements. With families waiting for affordable housing while federally subsidized units have sat vacant, the community will be watching closely to see what happens next.

"This is an opportunity to rebuild this organization to what it needs to be," Kamau Dickerson said.

For an agency that has experienced years of controversy and leadership changes, Brunswick residents will now be looking for something more than another change at the top. They will be looking for results.