As she gears up for her second term, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is tapping a new chief of staff, looking to a longtime City Hall aide to help lead her administration into a new phase.
Clare Kelly, who has served as Wu’s director of intergovernmental relations, will take on the role starting Nov. 17, the city said Monday. The mayor’s chief of staff is one of the administration’s most essential jobs, with responsibilities ranging from daily operations to long-term initiatives.
“Clare has been a key leader in our administration over the last four years, and her decades of service in government and community will help steer our continued work to make Boston a home for everyone,” Wu said in a statement.
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A familiar fixture in the City Council chambers and at the State House, Kelly has served since January 2022 as the head of Wu’s intergovernmental relations team, tasked with tracking policy initiatives and legislation at the state and federal levels and advancing Wu’s agenda. It’s a particularly relevant portfolio as Wu contends with a hostile Trump administration and seeks approvals from the Legislature on issues ranging from housing policy to tax shifts.
Following her decisive win in the September preliminary election, which prompted her opponent, Josh Kraft, to abandon his bid for mayor, Wu will formally begin her second term in January. She does so at a time when Boston has become a major target of President Trump, and as the city needs a sign-off from Beacon Hill to advance its agenda.
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Kelly is the former executive director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund and the Massachusetts Democratic Party, and has been involved in numerous state and local campaigns. She worked for Governor Deval Patrick from 2005 until 2011. She lives in Jamaica Plain with her husband and three children.
“I’m honored to step into the role of Chief of Staff to continue supporting Mayor Michelle Wu’s vision to make Boston a home for everyone,” Kelly said in a statement.
The choice of Kelly drew praise from some in the business world on Monday.
Susan Elsbree, who works in communications for developers and whose clients have sometimes struggled to find an ally inside City Hall, said Kelly “is the real deal — experienced, connected, and committed."
“Her appointment sends a strong signal to Boston’s business community,” added Elsbree, who previously worked for the Boston Planning and Development Agency. “She knows how to get things done and bring people together. She lives in our neighborhoods and understands this city.”
Kelly takes the place of Tiffany Chu, the tech founder who has been Wu’s chief of staff for nearly all of her first term. Chu said she will work closely with Kelly over the next month as she transitions into the role.
Chu — a former commissioner of the San Francisco Department of the Environment and former CEO and co-founder of the transportation planning software platform Remix — said she plans to take a sabbatical to travel and spend more time with family.
Chu said Kelly was a natural fit to take over her role.
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“Our relationships with other levels of government are absolutely crucial to getting things done,” Chu said. “Thinking nationally, there’s obviously a much bigger focus on what is Boston’s role in leading the way in this federal, national environment, and I think that is something that we’re going to definitely be focusing on more.”
Kelly’s background in climate issues is also an important asset, Chu said.
Chu, who was known for refreshing the culture of sometimes-stodgy city government with new additions such as department head retreats, said she is proud of bringing a more entrepreneurial mindset to the public sector and changing City Hall “to be focused on people.”
Emma Platoff can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @emmaplatoff.