Board of Commissioners

Burlington Housing Authority's five Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor for five year terms. One Commissioner must be a BHA program participant.

Mike Knauer is currently Chair of the BHA Board and has been a commissioner since 1994. His previous public service includes serving on the Burlington School Board from 1985-1988. Mike and his wife have three children and have lived in Burlington's New North End for the past 24 years. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For his day job, Mike is a consulting manager at Hewlett-Packard Company. Term Expires: 1-17-2014

Connie Krosney, Ed.D. has lived in Chittenden County for over 20 years, and in Burlington for 7 years. She is a Professor of Graduate Studies at Vermont College of the Union Institute and University in Montpelier, and has worked previously at St. Michael's College, the University of Vermont, and Burlington College. She holds an M.Ed. in Interdisciplinary Studies and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (focus: Social Foundations of Education) from the University of Vermont. She serves on the Board of Directors of Spectrum Youth and Family Services and chairs the Program Committee of that board. She is interested and engaged in issues involving social justice, education, ethics, and philosophy. Term Expires: 1-17-2016

Sheila Gorski was born and raised in Burlington. Sheila has been active for the past 20+ years in both Florida and Vermont on issues concerning disabilities and accessibility. She served as a member on the Mayor's Advisory Committee for Accessibility in Burlington from 1995 - 2001. From 1994 - 2001 Sheila was a board member, prevention specialist, and public speaker for the national organization Think First, which is a prevention program for spinal cord and brain injury. She is also a peer counselor for newly spinal cord injured patients in Rehabilitation at Fletcher Allen Health Care. For the past 7 years, Sheila has been involved with VSA (Very Special Arts) in helping to make the arts accessible to both the disabled community and the disabled artist. She is presently working on her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology at Saint Michael's. Sheila's goal is to work as a grief counselor and is highly interested in the Hospice organization, as well as her continued work in disability awareness. Term Expires 1-17-2013

Clarence Davis attended public and private schools in the Bronx, NY. He has served in the United States Navy and is a graduate of Norwich University, The Military College of Vermont. Additionally, Clarence has completed a four-year legal clerkship and is eligible to practice law in Vermont upon admission to the Vermont Bar. He has experience in a wide variety of state and local public policy subject areas. Clarence’s expertise is in strategic planning, public relations, relationship building, organizational analysis, regulatory compliance, policy development and implementation. He also has extensive experience in problem solving and consensus building in rapidly evolving business and political environments. Clarence has served as a Congressional Assistant to the Honorable Bernard Sanders; Development Underwriter for the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Director of HomeOwnership Programs for the Central Vermont Community Land Trust, and as Vice President and Vermont State Manager for First American Title Insurance Corporation. He now serves as Director of State Relations for the University of Vermont. A passionate believer in community service, he was elected to the Burlington City Council in 2006 where he served the residents of Burlington until 2010. Clarence’s community service has included serving as a Member of: the Northern Lights Advisory Board, the Parallel Justice Commission, and the Women’s Rape Crisis Center. Clarence is currently the Chair of the King Street Center Board of Directors and the Chair of Aikido of Champlain Valley Board of Directors. Most recently he was appointed to serve as a Commissioner for the Burlington Housing Authority. Term Expires 1-17-2015

Cheryl Fatnassi is the Executive Director of the Opportunities Credit Union and a Burlington Resident. Term Expires: 12-12-2016