Mayor Wu is taking on a new chief of staff as she transitions to a second term. Clare Kelly, who now works as the mayor’s chief intermediary to other elected officials, will replace Tiffany Chu, who has served as Wu’s top advisor since February 2022.
Kelly will start in her new role next month and she and the mayor “will be working closely together as she begins transitioning into the role,” according to a City Hall spokesperson.
The chief of staff oversees daily operations and the mayor’s long-term initiatives, builds collaboration between city departments, community members and local organizations outside City Hall, and other levels of government, according to the Mayor’s Office.
“Tiffany Chu has been an incredible leader over the past four years and I’m grateful for everything she has taught me and brought to our administration,” Kelly said in a statement.
Before she joined up with the mayor, Chu was the CEO & co-founder of Remix, a software platform for transportation planning used by more than 500 cities worldwide. The Mayor’s Office says Chu plans to “take a sabbatical and spend more time with her family” after completing her duties on Nov. 17.
Kelly joined the Wu administration in 2022. Before that, she worked for Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration from 2005 until 2011 and later served as executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and leader of the Environmental League of MA Action Fund.
She lives in Jamaica Plain with her husband Zach, son Malcolm, and twins, Eliza and Zoe.
