Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith is stepping down from office after just 14 months on the job.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Goldsmith's resignation on Thursday, saying the former mayor of Indianapolis plans to pursue opportunities in the private sector.
He will be replaced by Cas Holloway, the current head of the Department of Environmental Protection.
Goldsmith was working at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University when Bloomberg chose him as the chief deputy for operations in April 2010. He replaced former Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, who left to work at Citigroup.
In his tenure as Indianapolis mayor, Goldsmith was considered an expert in urban renovation, promoting efforts to have private companies to take over city services.
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At the news conference when he was first introduced to New York City, Bloomberg said he was a "superstar in every respect," and credited him for reviving downtown Indianapolis while trimming city government.
He said Goldsmith had "perhaps more experience than anyone in this administration, including me" on government issues.
Despite his warm welcome, the "superstar" aide faced difficulties in his time at City Hall, most notably during the Christmas blizzard that paralyzed the city.
Goldsmith, who was at his home in Washington, D.C. when the storm dumped more than 2 feet of snow on New York City, tweeted: Good snow work by sanitation. Long shifts well executed and continuing."
Those in New York, though, knew that most streets were still buried in snow drifts up to 4 feet tall.
Four days after his original tweet he invited New Yorkers to send him their thoughts on the city's snow response and any suggestions they had for next time.
During his short tenure in City Hall, Goldsmith pushed technology initiatives to make government more efficient, and made the opening remarks at a technology conference recently sponsored by the city.
In a statement released Thursday, Goldsmith said he was proud of the work the Bloomberg administration had done over the last year with certain initiatives, saying that he felt "comfortable that the person taking over for me will do an exceptional job moving things forward."
“It has been a unique honor to be part of the high performing Bloomberg team," he added. "City Hall and the agencies are truly alive with the spirit of service and innovation."
Copyright AP - Associated Press
