Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary is leaving the role after 15 months by the mayor's side, dealing with everything from the local backlash to his presidential campaign to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a thread of tweets Wednesday afternoon, Freddi Goldstein said that her last day as the mayor's press secretary will be next week.
"Working for the people of NYC has been the honor of a lifetime," she said. "From launching 3K, to planning the closure of Rikers Island, to helping inform the public during the darkest days of COVID-19, my experiences here will forever change me."
Goldstein took on the role as the mayor's top spokesperson in April 2019 after predecessor Eric Phillips left for the private sector. Before that she handled communications for deputy mayor Dean Fuleihan.
Known as a dogged defender of the mayor's and the city's policies, especially on Twitter, Goldstein was well regarded within City Hall's press corps.
Goldstein said she'll be succeeded by Bill Neidhardt, a former spokesman for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. He also served on Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin's staff.
