Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

52 Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofi t Organizations

Exercise 2.1: Nature Conservancy ’ s Leader Abruptly

Steps Down

One morning in October 2007, Steven J. McCormick, the president of

the Nature Conservancy, sent an e - mail to its thirty - fi ve hundred work-

ers notifying them that he had resigned from the agency and his leave

would begin immediately. McCormick had worked for the organization

for thirty years and had been the president since 2001. In 2006, he earned

$ 375,000. The Nature Conservancy is the largest environmental - conser-

vation charity in the United States and ranked twentieth on the Chronicle

of Philanthropy ’ s most recent list of the charities that raise the most money

from private sources.

Stephanie Meeks, the chief operating offi cer, will work as interim

president while the organization searches for a permanent successor. Mc-

Cormick agreed to work with the organization for the next year as a paid

adviser to help it through the transition.

Questions

1. What steps can agencies take to make sure they have a succession plan
   in place?


2. Do you think it is in the best interest of the Nature Conservancy to have
   McCormick stay on as a paid adviser to help the agency through the
   transition? Explain your reasoning.

Source: Panepento (2007b).