WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today announced that Kerry A. Ates, who has served as his long-time Chief of Staff, will be departing in mid-December to assume the role of vice president and chief of staff at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, beginning in January 2014.

With Ates’ departure, Rockefeller also announced today that James Reid, another top advisor, will assume the role of his Chief of Staff. Reid has been serving since 2009 as Deputy Staff Director for the Senator in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Prior to holding this position, Reid served as Rockefeller’s Senior Legislative Assistant.

Rockefeller released the following statement about Kerry Ates and her fifteen years of dedicated service and counsel to him, and her service to the people of West Virginia and the Senate:

“I want to express my profound admiration for Kerry Ates as a counselor, policy advisor, manager and communicator. Kerry is one of the finest people I have ever known. She has flawless judgment and integrity, and brings to her work an openness that builds loyalty and trust. Kerry exemplifies the very best of the nation’s tradition of public service and everyone who knows Kerry would agree that she is a treasure.

“As my Chief of Staff, Kerry always demonstrated a nuanced understanding of the most complex policy issues and applied her first-class strategic thinking and analysis to every issue and challenge I have grappled with for the past fifteen years. I am eternally grateful for the incredible guidance and insights she always provided. Kerry handled every challenge with supreme elegance and the force of understated leadership.

“This Senator, my entire office, and the entire U.S. Senate community will sorely miss her incalculable contribution. But Sharon and I could not be more thrilled that Kerry will be dedicating herself to Johns Hopkins University as she moves to become Vice President and Chief of Staff to President Ron Daniels. It is a testament to Kerry’s dedication to public service that she has chosen to continue to invest her talents in another role where she can help improve people’s lives by working on Johns Hopkins’ lasting mission to educate and cultivate its students’ love of learning, foster original research and share the benefits of discovery with the world. Johns Hopkins will soon discover how extraordinarily fortunate it is to have Kerry Ates as part of its leadership team.”

Kerry Ates said, “It has been an incredible privilege and honor to serve Senator Jay Rockefeller, the State of West Virginia and the U.S. Senate for the past fifteen years. Senator Rockefeller has been a daily inspiration to me, and to everyone around him, in his profound commitment to public service and unyielding belief in the power of our democracy to make a difference for those most in need. I am grateful beyond measure to the Senator and to his wife Sharon for the opportunity to learn from them and work closely together over these many years.

“This is a bittersweet moment for me – it is hard to see my time working with Senator Rockefeller and his amazing staff come to a close, and yet I am thrilled about the opportunity to join the Johns Hopkins community, where there is an equally strong sense of mission and long tradition of global leadership. There is also a deep and proud connection between Johns Hopkins and the Rockefeller Family, from the founding years of the university all the way through to the present day, and it is a special honor for me to share an association with both.”

Rockefeller issued the following comment about James Reid becoming his new Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate:

“James Reid has been one of my most trusted advisors for more than a decade. James has worked especially closely with West Virginia on everything from aviation to telecommunications to surface transportation, and so many other issues. He is well known in our state and in the halls of Congress for his expertise and as someone who knows how to tackle tough challenges and create new opportunities. As a natural leader, I know James will continue his exceptional service to West Virginia and the U.S. Senate in this new leadership role.”

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