Amplify! Your Nonprofit’s Leadership Succession Plan

Amplify! Your Nonprofit’s Leadership Succession Plan

February 24, 2021 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM

For our next “Amplify!” series workshop, we will engage in a discussion on creating an effective succession plan during leadership transitions.

The life cycle of a nonprofit organization is dependent on a multitude of factors in these shifting times. Well-executed transitions can result in healthier and stronger organizations. Workshop participants will hear from local nonprofit leaders Tanisha Arena, Rima Dael, and Sarah Tanner who will offer insights on how to use this time to positively invest in the sustainability of your nonprofit.

We will use case studies and scenarios provided by attendees to guide the conversation.

If you are interested in providing a scenario, please email Nicole Young, community investments manager, by February 1 (subject line: Amplify Case Study).

Meet the Featured Guests:

Tanisha Arena

Tanisha Arena is the executive director of ARISE for Social Justice, bringing an intersecting lens, a passion for social justice, and transparent, authentic leadership. She is the host of Unapologetic, a podcast bringing the hard truths of our social issues to the forefront. She is a guest commentator on Vaya Con Munoz, a weekly radio show airing on WHMP focusing on political issues, as well as a consultant for Growing A New Heart, facilitating Dialogues Across Difference, a training designed to teach ways we can have difficult conversations, facilitate learning and drive social change. Tanisha has focused her nonprofit career on LGBT specific issues and populations and prior to coming to Arise, Tanisha was the Western Mass Advocate for the Violence Recovery Program of Fenway Health, advocating for LGBTQ identified victims and survivors of violence and provided community training to raise awareness of how domestic violence and sexual assault manifests in LGBTQ communities. She was also a member of the governance committee of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). As an LGBTQ Program Specialist at Community Action Youth Programs, Tanisha developed a skillset around trauma-informed care and using a strengths-based program model to foster positive youth development. Prior to that, Tanisha worked in the private sector, during which time she was a mentor at True Colors, a support and advocacy organization for sexual minority youth in Hartford, CT. Tanisha holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University and a Master’s Degree in Non Profit Management from Bay Path University. She is a published author, public speaker, and freelance writer in her spare time.

A. Rima Dael

Rima has over 25 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in Public Media, Arts, Education & the Human Service sectors. She is currently the General Manager at WSHU Public Radio in Fairfield, CT having previously worked at New England Public Radio in Springfield, MA. Rima is passionate about the essential role of public media in our communities and the transformational power of the arts. Rima was a founding faculty member in the Nonprofit Management & Philanthropy master’s degree program at Bay Path University. She continues to enjoy teaching online as an adjunct professor in the program.
Originally from the Philippines, Rima spent her early years in CT, and in several Southeast Asian countries with her family attending international schools. Living overseas also exposed Rima to military coups in Thailand, the People’s Revolution in the Philippines and she participated in the Tiananmen Square protests in Hong Kong as a teenager. These foundational experiences brought forth Rima’s interest in working in mission driven organizations that promote social justice and community advancement.
Rima received her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Theater Arts from Mt. Holyoke College. Her master’s degree is in Nonprofit Management from the Milano School of Management & Urban Policy at the New School University where she was a Community Development Finance Fellow.

Sarah Tanner

Sarah Tanner has worked in the resource development field for over 25 years. Tanner started her career at the Mile High United Way, serving as a marketing manager for information and referral services. She continued her tenure with the United Way system serving in leadership positions with United Way of New York City, United Way of Hampshire County (Northampton, MA), and United Way of Pioneer Valley (Springfield, MA). Sarah is now a Principal with Financial Development Agency (Amherst, MA) and provides interim executive leadership services to area nonprofits, as well as traditional fundraising consultation.

Tanner received her Master of Public Administration degree in the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado. She earned her B.S. from the School of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is a Coach/Mentor for Leadership Pioneer Valley, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Bay Path University.