Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 644Determine the best media mix to reach your mission’s broader audience. As a rule of thumb, you should distribute an announcement regarding the transition of an executive director or president/CEO to your regular list of online, broadcast, and print media. Focus transition announcements for other senior staff (such as vice presidents, directors) on local print and online pages specifically dedicated to business and not-for-profit activity. 5Don’t forget the need to communicate transitions to your internal audiences. Both staff members and donors need to be in the mix when announcing transitions in leadership. These days, an email might serve well to make such an announcement to donors. And, as antiquated as it may sound, a face-to-face meeting with your staff members is often the best way to give them the news about leadership transitions. Make sure your transition message communi- cates the change simply and directly, and that it exhibits confidence in your mission’s future and its ability to carry out day-to-day ministry. Ĩ WWW.AGRM.ORG JULY/AUGUST 2016 49 S easons of life change. That means every once in a while the lives of our rescue mission colleagues change too. Sometimes these changes are brought on by health or personal crises that need not be communicated to the pub- lic. Indeed, most staff changes in a rescue mission do not require media attention. However, the transition of an executive leader away from or into the mission where you serve often calls for a public announcement suitable for your community’s local media. Here are several things to remember as you communicate the transition. 1Work with your mission’s senior leadership, the HR office, and the individual in transition. First and foremost, assure them that a transition announcement is suitable for the situation. Sec- ond, clear the content of the announcement with them. Third, work out the optimal date to release the announcement. 2Make your approach appropriate for the con- text of the transition. For example, the tone of a retirement announcement that marks the end of a career should be more reflective than that of a press release covering the next step in the professional journey of a young executive. 3Remember that the ministry of the mission will almost certainly survive the tenure of any individual. This is especially important to remem- ber in announcing the departure of a long-standing leader. It helps to include a statement in the press release from the departing leader that affirms her or his confidence in the mission’s future. PR TOOLKIT Steve Wamberg Transition Talk Communicate leadership changes simply and directly Steve helps missions and other nonprofits more effectively communicate with the public. He can be reached at steve wamberg@yahoo.com. DAY-TO-DAY Practical help with the operations and ministry of your mission