CASA of the Fox Cities Succession Plan - Revised - 5.10.23

Sep 2, 2026

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CASA of the Fox Cities’ Succession Plan establishes contingency procedures for maintaining organizational leadership when the Executive Director is disabled, deceased, departs, or experiences an untimely vacancy. It outlines immediate board actions and the delegation of authority for short-term unplanned absences (under three months), including acting leadership roles, compensation for the Program Director, and staff/funder communications. It further details long-term absence steps (over three months) and the permanent-change transition process via a Transition and Search Committee.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatDOCX

Pages56

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Succession Plan Overview

Purpose and Scope

Succession Plan in Event of a Temporary, Unplanned Absence: Short-Term

Acting leadership roles and authority

Communications plan

Completion of short-term succession period

Succession Plan in Event of a Temporary, Unplanned Absence: Long Term

Long-term absence add-on procedures

Completion of long-term emergency succession plan

Succession Plan in Event of a Permanent Change in Executive Director

Transition and Search Committee

Document Maintenance and Information Inventory

CASA of the Fox Cities Succession Plan Date: February 23, 2021; Revised every 2 years Revised: Updated Bookkeeper, signer info, and started to put in security passwords on 5.10.23 The Board of Directors of CASA of the Fox Cities recognizes that it is important to plan for contingencies due to the disability, death, or departure of the Executive Director. If the organization is faced with the unlikely event of an untimely vacancy, CASA of the Fox Cities has in place the following succession plan to facilitate the transition to both interim and longer-term leadership. The Board of CASA of the Fox Cities has reviewed the job description of the Executive Director. The job description is attached. The Board has a clear understanding of the Executive Director’s role and has prepared this plan to continue functions of that role in an emergency. Succession Plan in Event of a Temporary, Unplanned Absence: Short-Term A temporary absence is one of less than three months in which it is expected that the Executive Director will return to his/her position once the events precipitating the absence are resolved. An unplanned absence is one that arises unexpectedly, in contrast to a planned leave, such as a vacation or a sabbatical. The Board of Directors authorizes the Executive Committee of CASA of the Fox Cities to implement the terms of this succession plan in the event of the unplanned absence of the Executive Director. In the event of an unplanned absence of the Executive Director, the Board Chair will immediately notify Board members of the absence. As soon as it is feasible, the Chair will convene a meeting of the Executive Committee to affirm the procedures prescribed in this plan or to make modifications the committee deems appropriate. At the time of plan revision (5.10.23), the Board Chairperson is Adam Figurin (Until 7/25) and will be Marissa Knuth (7-23 thru 7-24). The Board Chair will step in to act as part-time acting Executive Director, overseeing policy and staff supervision with the assistance of the Program Director. For the duration of the temporary, unplanned absence, the Program Director will guide day-to-day operations and assist the acting Executive Director. The Board Chair will retain their position as Board Chair during the temporary emergency period. The Chair will draw on assistance from current Board members, for assistance with management functions. Authority and Compensation of the Acting Executive Director The person appointed as acting Executive Director shall have the full authority for decision-making and independent action as the regular Executive Director. The Program Director will receive a bonus of $200 per pay period during the period of temporary unplanned absence. Communications Plan Immediately upon transferring the responsibilities to the acting Executive Director, the acting Board President will notify staff members, members of the Board of Directors, and the volunteer network of the delegation of authority. As soon as possible after the Acting Executive Director has begun covering the unplanned absence, Board members and the acting Executive Director shall communicate the temporary leadership structure to key funders, government contact officers, and others as necessary at the time. Completion of Short-Term Succession Period The decision about when the absent Executive Director returns to lead CASA of the Fox Cities should be determined by the Executive Director and the Executive Committee. They will decide upon a mutually agreed upon schedule and start date. A reduced schedule for a set period of time can be allowed by approval of the Executive Committee, with the intention of the Executive Director working back to a full-time commitment. Succession Plan in Event of a Temporary, Unplanned Absence: Long Term A long-term absence is one that is expected to last more than three months. The procedures and conditions to be followed should be the same as for a short-term absence with on

FAQs

What triggers the CASA of the Fox Cities succession plan?

The plan covers contingencies including disability, death, departure, or an untimely vacancy of the Executive Director, as well as temporary unplanned absences.

Who leads during a short-term unplanned absence, and how is authority handled?

The Board Chair steps in as part-time acting Executive Director, with policy and staff supervision aided by the Program Director. The acting Executive Director has full decision-making authority and independent action.

What steps apply when the absence becomes long term or the change is permanent?

For long-term absences (more than three months), the Executive Committee considers filling the acting position on a full-time basis. For a permanent change, the Board appoints a Transition and Search Committee within two weeks to plan the transition to a new Executive Director.

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Riley