In this episode, hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert are joined by Lucinda Hart, CAE, MBA, IOM, and Nita Scott, CAE, MSE, from Delta Kappa Gamma International Association. They discuss the unique leadership transition between a retiring CEO and the incoming one, highlighting the importance of clear communication and strategic planning for a seamless change. The conversation underscores the need to set egos aside and focus on the organization's long-term success. This episode was recorded live at TSAE’s New Ideas Conference in The Woodlands. This episode is sponsored by the Chazin & Company. Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.   Show notes Lucinda Hart, CAE, MBA, IOM With over 28 years of experience in nonprofit management and customer service,Lucinda Hart, CAE, MBA, IOM, specializes in strategic alliance, business development, membership, meeting planning, governance & administration, and certification programs. She recently assumed the role of Executive Director for DKG Society International, following her tenure as the President of the Effingham County Chamber in Effingham, Illinois. Hart is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the TexasSociety of Association Executives. She recently served on the ASAE CAE Job Analysis Task Force where she assisted in maintaining the CAE Program's standards by identifying the current competencies essential for association executives. She has been a member of TSAE for more than 20 years, serving the TSAE as a mentor, CAE instructor, speaker, and committee member.   Nita R. Scott, CAE With a Bachelor of Business Administration (marketing and management) and a Master of Science in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership, Nita R. Scott, CAE, has long promoted using data as a tool to enable organizational leadership in marketing and building membership. Scott, as a Certified Association Executive (CAE), provides organizational leaders with insight regarding best practices for non-profit association governance. Recently retired as Executive Director, Scott joined DKG Society International Headquarters in August of 2011 – serving first as membership director and then as executive director. Scott is currently a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE). In addition to attending conferences and seminars, she has worked with TSAE as a volunteer mentor for TSAE Leadership, panelist for Learn@Lunch sessions, instructor for CAE Study Courses, and has served on task forces for conference planning and for the association magazine. Scott is currently serving on the Governance Task Force after serving a three-year term as a member of the TSAE Board of Directors and chairing one of the board’s four strategic initiatives twice during her tenure.