Judith Iglehart, who was appointed Chief of Staff to Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates in January 2012, has left her post to pursue a job opportunity in the private sector.
Mayor Bates said he was sorry to see Iglehart go as she had done good work in helping the office analyze opportunities for economic development in the city, in particular for new-business startups.
“She leaves as a friend,” he said, citing the former staffer’s valuable work on the “nitty gritty” of how to get businesses started. “I am really pleased to have been offered an understanding of what we can do in that area,” he said on Monday Jan. 7.
Iglehart, who had not returned calls at press time, is believed to be starting a new company with a friend.
Before being employed by the City of Berkeley, Iglehart worked for the Keiretsu Forum, a network of angel investors.
Her career includes several stints working for the University of California — including as chief research development officer in 2003, and deputy senior vice president for business and finance at UC’s Office of the President from 1996 to 2000. Bates said Iglehart’s insights into the university had also been useful while she was working as his Chief of Staff.
Bates does not know whether Iglehart will be replaced. “We are reshuffling the office,” he said, adding that Iglehart had been largely absent from city hall during his recent re-election campaign due to a long recovery necessitated by a double knee operation. “We are reconfiguring and will create new positions,” he said.
Iglehart replaced Julie Sinai, who left Mayor Bates’ office after nine years to become UC Berkeley’s director of local government and community relations.
Related:
Startup Berkeley: What does it take to make it in Berkeley? [03.06.12]
Iglehart brings startup education experience to City Hall [01.11.12]
Judith Iglehart becomes new chief of staff to Mayor Bates [01.05.12]
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