As a consultant, you want clients to seek your services. You want people to want to work with you. But, there comes a time when you have to move on.

And, the song is right: Breaking up is hard to do.

When I met Jim MacMillan, a veteran photojournalist with a Pulitzer in his pocket, he had decided to change the way that the media industry interacts with gun violence. Grounded in a bold vision and some residual guilt, Jim is steadfast in his desire to reframe gun violence as a public health issue.

When we met, he wanted the AP Stylebook to issue new standards. He wanted the Surgeon General to take up gun violence. He wanted to attract new funders. He wanted to build a community that included public health scholars, impacted community members, and media professionals.

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The Surgeon General has started talking. The AP Stylebook is making moves. PCGVR secured hundreds of thousands in new funding. They have a growing community of invested stakeholders. They released a Better Gun Violence Reporting Toolkit.

The future is now.

Jim knows his career is closer to its end than its beginning. We need to build a team, and teams aren’t made from consultants. So, I need to step aside. We’re about to launch a search for a Director of Operations. We’re going to build an Advisory Board. We’re going to prepare for the first-ever national conference on gun violence prevention reporting.

We’re going to prepare for the organization’s future.

Gun violence is down in Philadelphia, but few people are telling you that.

Current approaches to reporting on gun violence make communities less safe. They make people fearful and make it more likely people will arm themselves. When this trend shifts, I’ll know that - by supporting Jim - I was part of the change our world needed to see.

I’ll be working with PCGVR until the end of the calendar year. And, after that, I can’t wait to watch what they do!

Gun violence is not just a criminal issue. It’s a public health crisis. Check out PCGVR to learn more about how you might contribute to solutions.