Secretary of Defense James Mattis' senior adviser is leaving to return to the private sector, Mattis announced Tuesday in a statement.
Sally Donnelly has been Mattis' "trusted and valued adviser" for more than a decade, Mattis said.
"She has played a critical role in the Department of Defense throughout this important first year. She was particularly effective in shaping two of the department's major lines of effort: building international partnerships and bringing essential business reform to the Pentagon.
"I always knew she would return to the private sector and I am grateful for her service. I have no doubt that she will stay engaged on the key national security issues the country faces," he said.
Donnelly worked with Mattis as the head of the Washington office of U.S. Central Command, and was special assistant to now-retired Adm. Mike Mullen during Mullen's tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her U.S. Department of Defense biography said.
Donnelly had been Mattis' senior adviser since his swearing-in on Jan. 21, 2017, and guided him through the confirmation process, the biography said.
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