Partnership for Public Service to Launch Center for Presidential Transition

One year from Inauguration Day, the Partnership urges presidential candidates to establish their transition operations

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, January 20, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service will launch the Center for Presidential Transition to help presidential candidates navigate the transition process and ensure our next president will be ready to govern on day one. The center will be the only permanent source of critical transition information and resources for presidential teams in 2016 and beyond.

On January 20, 2017, the next president will take the oath of office and instantly assume responsibility for a four million-person organization with an annual budget of nearly $4 trillion dollars. The new chief executive will have to deal with a multitude of global emergencies and pressing economic and domestic challenges, while simultaneously filling 4,000 critical leadership positions.

“There is an expectation that the nation’s newly elected president will hit the ground running, but the transition of power and knowledge from one president to another is often rushed, inefficient and fraught with risk,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “A lack of thorough preparation could put the nation in jeopardy and seriously impede the progress of a new administration.”

“Even in the midst of the heated campaign, the presidential candidates need to begin the hard work of preparing to govern as early as this spring, long before the political party nominating conventions,” Stier said.

In a conversation moderated by Cokie Roberts, former White House chiefs of staff Joshua Bolten and Thomas “Mack” McLarty will discuss why presidential candidates should establish their transition operations as soon as possible, the organizational challenges that come with the transition, and what needs to be accomplished to ensure the next president will be fully prepared to assume the reins of power.

WHAT: Launch of the Center for Presidential Transition and panel discussion with presidential transition experts

WHO: Joshua Bolten, former White House chief of staff, President George W. Bush

Thomas “Mack” McLarty, former White House chief of staff, President Bill Clinton

Max Stier, President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service

Moderator: Cokie Roberts, political commentator, ABC News and senior news analyst, NPR News

WHEN: Wednesday, January 20, 9:00-10:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m., registration)

WHERE: Partnership for Public Service, 1100 New York Ave, NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, D.C.

MEDIA PLEASE REGISTER WITH Samantha Donaldson, 202-775-9111 or [email protected]

BACKGROUND: The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that believes good government starts with good people. It works to revitalize federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and transforming the way government works by strengthening the civil service and systems that support it. The Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition is designed to help presidential candidates navigate the transition process, prepare political appointees to lead effectively through the Ready to Govern^® training initiative and work with the outgoing administration to encourage a smooth transfer of power.

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