UPDATE | Mayor Robert Garcia has appointed Diana Tang as his next chief of staff, following Wednesday’s announcement that Mark Taylor would resign after five years for the private sector.

Tang is currently the manager of government affairs and communications for the city of Long Beach. She manages the city’s communications office and city lobbyists in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Prior to that position, she worked in the city manager’s office as a government affairs analyst and other positions; she began her career with the city in 2002 as an emergency medical technician for the Long Beach Fire Department Marine Safety Division.

Tang “knows Long Beach and is ready on day one to lead our team,” the mayor said in a written statement.

Her appointment overseeing Garcia’s office will be effective Sept. 30.

PREVIOUSLY: Mark Taylor to step down as mayor’s chief of staff

9/4/19 | Mark Taylor, the mayor’s chief of staff, announced Wednesday he is stepping down to “embark on a new adventure in the private sector.”

Taylor has served as Mayor Robert Garcia’s primary organizer—including helping run successful election campaigns for a series of charter amendments, as well as the Measure A sales tax—since his appointment in 2014.

“Mark Taylor has been an incredible partner and leader for our city. I’m so excited for his future and incredibly grateful for his service to Long Beach. I’m going to miss him greatly, but also thankful for the five years he gave to our team. He’s a great colleague who I also worked with at Long Beach City College even before our time at the city. I’m looking forward to our friendship ahead,” Mayor Garcia said.

Taylor previously served as Long Beach City College’s director of college advancement, public affairs and governmental relations.

He did not say where he plans to go next.

“For now, I just want to say how proud I am of the accomplishments of the last five years, which include creating a new Civic Center, providing new funding for vital services, updating our City Charter and helping Long Beach take its rightful place as one of America’s best big cities,” he wrote in a Facebook post.