Five key members of senior management at the Bermuda Housing Corporation have handed in their resignations since February, Housing Minister David Burch revealed yesterday.

The latest person to quit is BHC General Manager Vance Campbell, who Lieutenant Colonel Burch said resigned last week "to accept an opportunity elsewhere." He leaves on Friday.

The Property Operations, Finance and Support Services managers have also handed in their notice in recent weeks, along with a Projects Officer.

Announcing the news after a meeting with the BHC staff yesterday, the Minister said: "All the departures are as a result of people finding opportunities to move on ? or money ? so I'm not unduly concerned."

In an apparent reference to the BHC scandal that resulted in the conviction of former Property Officer Terrence Smith last month for a $1.2 million fraud, he added: "I am a little bit surprised that people would move on having, in some instances, been through all of the difficulties of the Corporation now that we are on the threshold of really taking off but you can't prevent people from taking advantage of opportunities that they personally feel are in their best interest. Would I have chosen for people to go in this sort of time frame? Certainly not.

"But having been dealt this hand we've got to try to manage it and deal with it as best we can."

The Minister said Property Operations Manager Mike Hollis resigned for "personal reasons" and would remain with the Corporation until the end of this month. A replacement is being sought. Service Support Manager Renee Brown resigned in February to take up a new post with the Ministry of Health and Family Services. A replacement has already been recruited. Finance Manager Richard Fox will leave at the end of May to pursue what the Minister described as "a long desired professional opportunity" and his post will be filled internally. Darell Raghoo, a limited-term Projects Officer will leave at the end of May for a post in his native Trinidad. A National Training Board graduate, Derreck Bean, joined the BHC in February to replace him.

Quango Consultant Major Glenn Brangman will act as General Manager in place of Mr. Campbell, as part his responsibilities to amalgamate the BHC with the West End Development Company and the Bermuda Land Development Company.

The Minister acknowledged that this amalgamation may have had a bearing on some of the decisions made. He revealed that the Government would be advertising for a CEO for the combined entities by July . He said remaining staff would be encouraged to apply and offered opportunities in future and those "at lower levels" in BHC could be assured that their jobs are secure. He said he hoped the quangos would be moving forward as one organisation by next January and commented: "Some of these departures are beneficial to us although I wouldn't have chosen to do them now."

Lt Col Burch denied there was a morale problem at the Corporation, or that any of the resignations are linked to the Terrence Smith case during which management and procedures at the BHC at the time of the offence were heavily criticised by witnesses.

The Minister acknowledged that people would probably link the departures to his famously tough management style, commenting: "I'm very much hands-on and progress orientated but I think that if people are honest they will say 'yes he makes decisions but he weighs up all of the factors.' I'm not sure they would be being fair with themselves in terms of my management style because part of that management style has been to be able to successfully eke $65 million out of the Minister of Finance. That hasn't been done before."

Lt. Col. Burch said he, Mr. Campbell, and members of the board had assured BHC staff that in spite of the recent departures, they are committed to moving the organisation forward. "I am confident that the prospects that are on the horizon for the Corporation will not be adversely affected by these personnel changes," he said.

Mr. Campbell and Mr. Hollis declined to discuss their resignations when contacted by . The other staff could not be reached for comment.