Dear Friends,
It is with mixed emotions that I share the news with you that FCNL General Secretary Diane Randall informed the Executive Committee in February that she will leave Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) at the end of 2021—“with a clear and grateful heart.”
For the past ten years, Diane has fostered the growth and strength of FCNL among Friends and on Capitol Hill. At the 2010 Annual Meeting when the General Committee approved her appointment as the first woman to head the organization, Diane told those gathered that FCNL “must be bold, strategic, and relentless in our advocacy.” In 2021, we are that and far more.
With gratitude to Diane for her leadership in staying true to the vision of the world we seek and to Friends’ faith and practice, the Executive Committee has approved a way forward to select the next FCNL general secretary.
We hope to bring a General Secretary candidate forward for approval during the 2021 Annual Meeting.
During the Executive Committee meeting in February, the Personnel Committee—with Lynn Oberfield as clerk; Dorsey Green, Mary Lou Hatcher, Ron Ferguson, as members—proposed the creation of a search committee. It was approved, along with the approval of Deanne Butterfield as its clerk.
The Executive Committee also approved the Personnel Committee’s recommendation to engage a consultant to help develop the General Secretary position profile through interviews with the staff, General Committee members, and other stakeholders in order to be responsive to ways FCNL and the world have changed since the last search.
In the coming weeks, the Personnel Committee and the Search Committee clerk will nominate a Search Committee of seven to eight people, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. We hope to bring a General Secretary candidate forward for approval during the 2021 Annual Meeting, Nov. 18–21.
In the weeks and months ahead, we will keep you informed of the process and ask for your help. We have much prayerful work to do and are committed to finding the right leadership for FCNL as the organization heads into the future.
Sincerely,
Ron Ferguson
Clerk, on behalf of the FCNL Executive and Personnel Committees