FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Sophie McGrath, Work for America, press@workforamerica.org
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
A free guide drawn from eight recent transitions and a new national executive search service give incoming teams both the people and the plan to govern from day one.
BROOKLYN, NY — Work for America (WFA) today published Governing Starts with Who You Hire, a free field guide with best practices for hiring staff during a government transition, and launched an executive search service for cabinet-level and senior appointed positions across state and local governments. With 36 gubernatorial elections and mayoral races in more than 10 of the nation's 100 largest cities on the ballot next month, these resources will assist incoming administrations on how to effectively staff up the teams that will deliver for their communities.
The stretch from election night through the first 100 days is the most crucial window a new administration gets. What it delivers depends heavily on who it hires, yet most transition teams start from scratch, with little time, no dedicated budget, and no playbook. Governing Starts with Who You Hire lays out what incoming teams need in place, from before election night through day 100, to staff an administration that can govern from day one.
The field guide distills what worked across eight recent transitions spanning political parties and levels of government into four lessons:
Start before election night. Know the inherited hiring rules, systems, and budget before you need them, including how the transition itself will be funded.
Speed comes from a clear decision-making framework, not shortcuts. Sequence hires to campaign priorities, and delegate hiring authority to a few trusted people. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger had a full cabinet in place by inauguration day.
Treat the inherited workforce as a partner. Nearly every transition studied faced an emergency in its first 100 days. Career staff are the expertise new teams should lean on for success.
Leave it better than you found it. Former Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum worked with the city council to fund the transition ahead of Mayor Monroe Nichols' term; a one-time transition budget and a local "Plum Book" pay off for every future administration.
Alongside the field guide, WFA also launched executive search services for cabinet-level and other senior appointed positions, with a dedicated recruiter managing each search from scoping through the finalist slate.
Additional hands-on support for incoming administrations includes priority access to Civic Match, WFA's free talent platform that allows governments to post and promote high-priority roles and shortlist mission-driven candidates. Last election cycle, Civic Match helped ten state and local transitions source talent and host hiring events through the platform.
“Every campaign promise eventually becomes a job someone has to do,” said Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director of Work for America. “The administrations that delivered early on their campaign promises planned their staffing before the votes were counted and moved fast on the roles that mattered most. Our guide shares those lessons, and our executive search team is ready to help new administrations put them to work.”
“More than 20 new governors will take office in January, but their work to set up their administrations and ensure a smooth transition starts immediately after the election,” said National Governors Association CEO Brandon Tatum. “At the National Governors Association, we assist newly elected governors as they navigate the transition from campaigning to governing, establish their teams and prepare to deliver on their policy goals. We are proud to work with organizations like Work for America to ensure new governors have the tools and staff they need to hit the ground running.”
Governing Starts with Who You Hire is free to download here.
For executive recruitment services, priority access to the Civic Match job seeker database, and to co-host hiring events, transition teams can reach out at transitions@workforamerica.org.
About Work for America
Honored by Fast Company as one of 2026 World’s Most Innovative Companies, Work for America is a nonpartisan nonprofit rebuilding the talent pipeline into state and local government. Work for America connects talented professionals to public sector roles, helps governments modernize how they recruit and hire, and inspires the next generation of public servants to see government as the most powerful place to drive progress. By expanding pathways into government and telling a new story about public service, Work for America is helping communities build the teams they need to deliver results.
Work for America has been recognized by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and TIME. Read more here.
