As one partner of a retiring manager reported: “No matter how much people love each other, the change of suddenly having your partner around full-time can create strains.”

How do partners and children deal with the transition when the City/County Manager (“the retiree”) in the family retires from a full-time local government career and moves into his or her next life phase?  From the perspectives of the partner and children, what are the positive opportunities and not-so-positive struggles?  For those who have experienced this transition, what tips do partners and children have for other families who may now face similar adjustments?

These were some of the questions that the Cal-ICMA Encore Committee tried to address.  To gain insights for this article, the Committee requested comments from seven partners and several teenage or young adult children.  The key take-away from all the informants was that the transition was a big adjustment, not only for the retiree but also for the partner and any children still in the household.

We are interested in hearing from other partners willing to share their insights and experiences and urge you to write any of the authors at the email addresses listed on the last page.  We anticipate revised editions of this paper as we hear more.