Farewell from Tom Schnaubelt

Nearly 14 years ago, I received a call offering me the position of executive director of the Haas Center for Public Service. It was not a call that I expected to receive, but I am deeply grateful that it came. I was excited and overwhelmed by the prospect of leading what I considered then, and still consider to be, the premier postsecondary public service center in the country.

I write today to share the exciting and bittersweet news that, on August 1, I will transition from my current role at the Haas Center to a new role as a lecturer and senior advisor on civic education at the Deliberative Democracy Lab within the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute. I am excited about the opportunity to expand the University’s efforts to sustain and strengthen democracy as a prerequisite to creating a more just and sustainable world.

The success I’ve had as executive director of the Haas Center is due to the talent and passion that I’ve been surrounded by, and words can’t describe how deeply grateful I am to have worked with such amazing people at Haas: the staff, faculty, students, and members of our National Advisory Board. 

We often talk about how the Haas Center looks like a house, and for the past 13 years it has been a home, and the people affiliated with it will always be more than a professional community to me. They are a family dedicated to a set of principles of ethical and effective service and to doing everything possible to make service an essential feature of a Stanford education.

As we look to the future, the Haas Center will convene a diverse committee to oversee a national search for the Center’s next executive director.
 
In the interim, the Center’s associate directors are serving as a transitional leadership team to ensure continuity of service, scholarship, and partnerships. We are very grateful to have such a strong team in place to keep the Haas Center moving forward. As ever, the summer and fall will include robust programming as our staff run summer fellowships and get ready to welcome students back to campus in September.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Peter E. Haas Faculty Director Juliet Brodie or other members of our leadership team with any questions.
 
With gratitude and best wishes,

Tom Schnaubelt
Executive Director, Haas Center for Public Service