HARO’s Peter Shankman Classy Departure from Vocus

“I can’t say enough good things about Vocus,” writes Shankman in a classy departure note, that went public on his blog on Thursday. For those familiar with Vocus and its employees, Shankman’s departure comes too soon after Frank Strong’s exit, which went unannounced by official channels.

Peter Shankman Leaving Vocus

According to the note, Peter Shankman leaves Vocus to focus on new endeavors, including consulting for Fortune 50 companies, evangelist activities for established consumer brands, and even consulting for startups, and continuing with occasional consulting for Vocus. Although he didn’t reveal specifics, he did mention some ideas for potential new startups – and if they are related to PR, judging from the value proposition of HARO, the industry will have a lot to gain.

There’s no telling why Shankman decided to leave Help a Reporter Out (HARO) behind, but he does have a lot on his plate in the near future. With a new book to be released on April 2, 2013 – Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management Is Over–and Collaboration Is In – and a baby due sometime in late April, Shankman will be too busy to look back at what he so often describes as his “original baby:”

“I can’t say enough good things about Vocus, and I know my original baby (HARO) will continue to grow in the good hands of the great gang down in Maryland.”

To paraphrase, we cannot say enough good things about Shankman, and we can only hope that HARO will continue to keep classy and helpful without him.