Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing’s January 2015 Workshop
January 21, 2015
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Joan Palevsky Center
281 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Panelists include:
- Ted Handel (moderator), Haight Brown and Bonesteel LLP (Business Solutions Practice Group)
- Yvette Davis, Haight Brown and Bonesteel LLP (Employment & Labor Law Practice Group)
- Yasmin Tong, Housing Works
- Sarah Letts, Community Corporation of Santa Monica
- Nora Mendez, Orange County Community Housing Corporation
- Matt Kamin, Envision Consulting
Over the past 25 to 30 years, the nonprofit housing community has matured and the leaders who guided this community and their organizations during this period – including Joan Ling, Bill Watanabe, and Sister Diane Donoghue – have retired while others are contemplating taking a similar action. If an affordable housing organization has not already dealt with the issue of succession, it is only a matter of time before that organization will need to plan for a change in its chief executive.
Nonprofits also need to be prepared to deal with turnover on their Boards of Directors and be able to attract new members who can help direct these organizations in the future.
Recognizing these circumstances, the workshop panelists will discuss the following key issues involved in succession planning at both the senior management and Board level:
What are the fiduciary obligations of a nonprofit Board in dealing with succession? How have organizations initiated succession planning?
How can an organization develop leadership from within? How long should a leadership transition take? What are the pros and cons of hiring from within or going outside? What factors should be weighed in selecting the candidates to be interviewed?
Why, when, and how should consultants be engaged? How much will it cost and can an organization fundraise for technical assistance with succession?
What are the legal issues involved in removing a chief executive who does not want to leave? Should a nonprofit enter into an employment agreement with a new CEO and, if so, how should that agreement be structured?
Should a Board member’s contribution to a nonprofit be evaluated and, if so, how often and based on what criteria? How do you identify and attract new directors?
Ultimately, what does it take for an organization to make a successful and seamless leadership and organizational transition whether the change is in its senior management or Board or both?