May 4, 2023

Dear CMCP (California Minority Counsel Program) Community,

We are writing to announce an important leadership transition at CMCP. Robert White is stepping down from his position as Executive Director of CMCP effective June 2023 to pursue his passion for educating and advising leaders and organizations.

Robert’s tenure of seven years has been marked by the successful growth of CMCP’s reach and impact. Since his start in 2015, the organization has seen our signature Annual Business Conference expand in length and variety of opportunities for attendees to network and participate interactively in sessions. The CMCP events calendar has evolved to a rich offering of educational content and programming for and about attorneys of color and supporters including focused events for in-house lawyers, emerging leaders, and women of color.

While CMCP’s core membership has remained intact, CMCP has enjoyed a continual influx of new law firm and legal department members ranging from small and minority-owned firms to publicly traded corporations.

A statement from the CMCP Board of Directors:

“During Robert’s tenure, he has demonstrated outstanding leadership, passion, and creativity in guiding CMCP through times of uncertainty and change. His unwavering commitment to our mission and ability to bring people together around it has been an inspiration.

“Robert has worked tirelessly to engage staff, donors, volunteers, and industry leaders in advancing CMCP’s mission, and his efforts have resulted in significant growth and impact on our organization. Furthermore, Robert has shown remarkable creativity and energy in developing innovative programs and resources to better serve our community of diverse attorneys.

“On behalf of the entire board, staff, and the legal community we serve, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Robert for his exceptional service and leadership. We wish him all the best in his next chapter and there is no doubt that he will continue to make a positive impact wherever he goes.”

The CMCP Board has convened a Search Committee and retained Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group Company, to conduct an executive search, already underway. Meanwhile, the efforts of Robert and the extraordinarily capable CMCP staff will be on planning for the 2023 Annual Business Conference and non-conference events and ensuring that the organization will not skip a beat as it prepares to go forward under new leadership.

In Robert’s words:

“I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to lead this unique organization and community.

“The work has been demanding, and the challenges are constant, but my time at CMCP will be the highlight of my professional life. Leaving is difficult, but I feel strongly that organizations and people require periodic refreshing and reinvention to thrive. Now is the right time for me and CMCP to enter the next stage of our evolution.

“I want to thank CMCP’s Board of Directors, my superlative team, the long list of supporters, and the countless individuals who have befriended and inspired me in advancing CMCP’s mission. The sense of community and connectedness that CMCP has built is unique, and its mission is as incredibly urgent today as it was when the organization was founded more than 30 years ago. I am confident that CMCP will climb to even higher heights in the coming years.”

Please join us in thanking Robert for his work at CMCP and wishing him well in his next adventure. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you all.

Sincerely,

Eric Casher and Christophe Mosby, CMCP Board Co-Chairs