How to Address a Designate
How to Address a Nominee
How to Address Someone Likely to Get an Office – Not Yet in Office?
A person identified for an official position gets no titleto use as part of their name — until they assume office / are sworn into office. They are addressed in the manner to which they are entitled –Mr./Mrs./Dr./etc., other rank, or a courtesy title such as the Honorable – if they are entitled to it from prior service.How to Address a Nominee
—-Envelope or address block of letter or email:
—-—-—-Mr./Ms./Dr./etc. (Full name)
—-—-—-(Address)
—-—-Or if they are retired military:
—-—-—-(Full Rank) (Full name), (Branch of Service), Retired
—-—-—-(Address)How to Address a Nominee
—-—-Or if they are already the Honorablebased on prior service:
—-—-—-The Honorable (Full Name)
—-—-—-(Address)
Robert Hickey author of“Honor & Respect”
—- #1) In the media such persons are often described as the(Office)-designate or (Office)-nominee. Those are descriptive terms, not titles to be used in direct address. Only once sworn in does anyone get an honorific to use with their name.
—-#2) They are not‘-elect’. They weren’t elected. They are not ‘pro tempore / pro tem’. That refers to an official acting in the absence of the regular official … like thePresident Pro Tempore of the United States Senate acts for thePresident of the Senate when he or she is away.
—-#3) It’s my understanding the process is (A) designated,(B)nominated,(C)confirmed – then(D)appointed. With the appointment comes the swearing in. With the swearing in come the courtesies of the office. Elevated forms of address are courtesies of the office.
— Robert Hickey
Robert Hickey author of“Honor & Respect”
When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?
You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing aletter, invitation, card orEmail.(If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.) The form noted in the salutation is the same form you use when you say their name in conversation or when yougreet them.
___What I don’t cover on this site aremany thingsI do cover in my book:all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions,etc. I hope you’ll get acopy of the book if you’d like the further detail.
Not Finding Your Answer?
—-#1)At right ondesktops,at the bottom of every pageontablets andphones, is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.
—-#2) If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answeredsend me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.)Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.
—-#3) If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question – but always change all the specifics.
— Robert Hickey
Robert Hickey author of“Honor & Respect”
Recommended Resources: The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW) and Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA) For more information see theProtocol Resources page.
