Top aide to Az Gov. Hobbs resigns effective immediately
Allie Bones, chief of staff to Arizona governor, latest to leave 9th floor
Allie Bones, the chief of staff to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, is the latest high-level aide to leave the 9th floor of the State Capitol, with her resignation "effective immediately."
Bones, who has worked with Hobbs for more than four years, including a stint as the assistant secretary of state before becoming the Democratic governor's right hand on the top floor, is "leaving her position to pursue new opportunities," the Governor's Office announced in a short press release Thursday afternoon.
Officials didn't provide any further details about the reason for Bones' sudden departure.
A new chief of staff will be named next week, the Governor's Office said.
Bones "exemplifies the true meaning of a public servant, and I am incredibly grateful for her leadership throughout the transition and this first legislative session of my administration," Hobbs said in the press release. "Her goal was to build a team that could work across the aisle to navigate divided government, and she accomplished that. With a successful bipartisan budget behind us, she’s ready for her next endeavor, and I wish her nothing but the best."
Prior to working for Hobbs, Bones — who has a bachelor's degree in family and consumer studies from the University of Arizona and a master's in social work from Arizona State University — worked on social issues such as domestic violence and homelessness for both government and nonprofit agencies.
Bones is just the latest of several among Hobbs' staff to leave in the first months of her term.
In March, that included C. Murphy Hebert, the communications director, who was pushed out with no public explanation, and press secretary Jocelyn Berry, who became embroiled in a national controversy over a tweet some interpreted to be a threat toward transphobes.