Flornoy is set to replace Lauren Falls, a veteran Democratic communications analyst who joined Harris’s office as an advisor last summer. Falls would focus its efforts on “organizational development, strategic communications, and long-term planning,” an official told CNN at the time.
In an email to employees obtained by CNN, Flournoy said she was “eternally grateful to the vice president for giving me this wonderful opportunity” and thanked the staff.
“It was my intention to speak to all of you individually to let you know that I will soon be leaving the vice president’s office and my role as chief of staff,” she wrote, noting that news of her exit may break before she can. to do that.
“However, I will speak to you in the coming days. I will then say–in much more poetic language, no doubt–that it is a great honor to work with the Vice President and it has been a pleasure to have gotten to know Kamala Harris and to witness first-hand the great passion she brings to her job.”
Flournoy, who joined the team at the start of the operation, led the office during a rocky vice president summer, during which Harish was criticized after several messaging errors and staffing issues. Republicans have seized on any obvious gaffes, relentlessly targeting the vice president.
One of Flournoy’s toughest moments came after countless reports of dysfunction overtook the office’s message, many of them centered around the chief of staff’s leadership — and thus Harris’s. Voles is set in the middle of those summer reports.
Harris, in a statement Thursday, paid tribute to her departing employee.
“Tina has been a valuable advisor, confidant, and a tremendous leader for the office. From day one, she has led our team through a historic first year as we made progress in rebuilding our economy here at home and our alliances around the world,” Harris wrote. “Tina is an accomplished public servant and I will continue to rely on her advice, advice and friendship.”
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein, whom Flornoy knew before she joined the White House, praised her as “an important member of the White House team from day one, working with the President and Vice President to make their partnership effective and help the administration deliver critical priorities.”
“Her experience, wisdom and hard work have been instrumental in our success on many issues,” Klein said.
This year, aides saw the first few months of Harris’ second year as particularly successful for the vice president – she recently managed during major foreign policy moments to avoid any discord, including high-profile trips to Germany and Poland amid the Russian invasion into Ukraine, which She helped cement her place among President Joe Biden’s top envoys on the continent, in conflict.
This story has been updated with additional reports.
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