<p>Your Executive Director or Director of Development is Leaving – Are You Prepared? A Panel Discussion From Those Who have Experienced This Critical Transition </p><p>Your beloved Executive Director has given notice she’s retiring. You’re a Director of Development who is leaving the organization you love. How do you leave the development department in the best possible position? Join a panel of coast-to-coast Development Directors who can share their succession planning experiences and lessons learned. Learn how to make certain the transition is seamless to your donors</p><p>------Panel Discussion Agenda – 90 minutes</p><p>1:45-1:55 p.m. Welcome & Purpose Jenny Goldberg</p><p>Introductions Jenny Goldberg, Vice President, Aly Sterling Philanthropy</p><p>Lisa Verges, Development Director of Legal Services, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia</p><p>Jaclyn Pinero, Director of Development, Bay Area Legal Aid</p><p>Question for Attendees Jenny Goldberg What are you most interested in hearing from our panelists – their experience with succession planning and transition of Executive Directors? Or, Directors of Development? 2</p><p>(show of hands – adjust time accordingly)</p><p>1:55-2:35 p.m.</p><p>Questions for Panelists Jenny Goldberg (Lisa and Jaclyn respond)</p><p>You both have experienced an Executive Director leaving his/her position? Briefly share your experiences.</p><p>Share your initial plans of action.</p><p>What role did you play in this transition (search effort)?</p><p>Did your staff leadership and board structure change when you learned the Executive Director was leaving?</p><p>How did you realign your role and that of the development team to meet the needs of the organization during this time of transition?</p><p>How did you communicate the news with key stakeholders and donors?</p><p>Looking back, what could have been done more proactively to have better prepared you and your organization for this transition?</p><p>2:35 – 2:55 p.m.</p><p>(Jenny shares key pieces of data on how a Director of Development’s departure can impact an organization’s development program) Page 3 </p><p>Please share your experience when you began your roles as Development Director – how you transitioned into your current role.</p><p>What are you doing proactively to make certain your organization can transition smoothly should you leave your role/not be able to return to work?</p><p>What role is your board (development committee) and ED playing in planning for transition?</p><p>What could we do today to minimize the risk of turnover? </p><p>Now that your EDs are in their first or second year of their new role – what did your ED find most challenging with development/development plan/development team? What were their greatest lessons learned?</p><p>2:55 – 3:15 p.m.</p><p>Questions from participants</p><p>Conclusion Exercise:</p><p>Please write three things you are going to do differently as a result of this workshop.</p><p>Participants share items on their list.</p>